Forty Glimpses
by Canadian Crow
Summary: Forty stand alone stories about the past, present and possible futures of Zootopia. Some happy, some sad, some sweet and some bitter.
1. Forty Glimpses

**_A while ago - while suffering a nasty case of writers block - I decided to use an online word generator as a prompt device. I took 40 random words, then wrote a little Zootopia-based blurb based on each one. I had a lot of fun with it (writing a story based of the title can be pretty challenging)._** ** _After I posted it a lot of people encouraged me to broaden each one out into a larger story, and since September of 2016 that's what I've been doing._**

 ** _Note: I make no claim of ownership to the characters or settings._**

* * *

 **1 / Upsetting  
** Nick's crusade against the illegal drug trade in Zootopia made his partner's devotion to the law seem like a passing interest. It wasn't until after he beat some low-level punk dealing nip in a schoolyard within an inch of his life that the bunny finally learned why Nick never spoke about his father.

 **2 / Gut  
** He ate the donuts and they made him happy – the weight he gained made him depressed – so he ate some donuts and they made him happy – and the weight he gained made him depressed.

 **3 / Cheer  
** If there was one thing Nick truly hated, it was when Judy got into one these moods. "C'mon, get up! It's almost six thirty, you can sleep when you're dead."

He burrowed deeper into the comforter, growling at the enthusiastic bunny. "I can sleep when _you're_ dead, you mean."

 **4 / Code  
** "Dispatch, this is Wilde - we're 10-23."

"Copy - Advise caution."

"Hopps here - 10-32. Possible armed suspect."

"Understood – directing backup to your location."

"..."

"This is dispatch - requesting status updat..."

"..."

"Wilde? Hopps? What's your statu..."

"10-33! Officer down! I say again, officer down!"

 **5 / Sunlight  
** He might've been nocturnal by nature, but the way her eyes sparkled in the light had him looking forward to every sunrise.

 **6 / Film  
** Everyone had a good laugh when Wilde sent Body Cam footage of Clawhauser singing along to the latest Gazelle single to **Zootopia's Got Talent!** , but as he gawked at the television screen three months later, the fox couldn't help but wonder if the portly cheetah was in need of an agent.

 **7 / Natural  
** "So, an anonymous source gave you a tip that the meet is happening at Mystic Springs Oasis."

"Yup."

"And to catch the suspect, you and I have to go undercover in a naturalist club."

"You got it."

"And that this will be the fifth time in two months?"

"Pure coincidence, Carrots. I assure you."

 **8 / Triangle  
** The other officers had predicted a little drama when the ZPD hired its _second_ bunny. No one could have imagined that the new doe would take to Nick like she did, or that Judy would end up being the odd one out.

 **9 / Sheriff  
** _...true that there was some resistance to the proposal, but not as much as you'd think. If anything, the more traditional members of the Bunnyburrow Municipal Council actually voiced greater objections to whether your partner might properly represent their values._

 _However, we think you'll agree that there's every bit as much a need for law enforcement in the Tri-Burrows as in Zootopia, and that calls for a mammal with a solid track-record when it comes for inter-mammal relations. In the last year, you and your partner have repeatedly proven that predator and prey can not only work together; they can actually be friends! Coupled with your outstanding professional record, I feel that you're the ideal candidate._

 _Please consider the offer, Mr. Wilde. I'll expect to hear from you soon._

 _John Q. Thumper - Mayor  
_ _Municipality of Bunnyburrow_

 **10 / Team  
** Whenever he wanted to be alone, he would always return to the same run-down industrial park and sit underneath the bridge. She never commented how easy it was to find him there, and he never asked how, once he was ready to face the world again, she'd always be waiting at the gates to pick him up.

 **11 / Ideology  
** The argument between Nick and the Chief over who was the better musician – Gazelle or Dave Growhl – made the Nighthowler Riots seem like a minor disagreement.

 **12 / Pressure  
** The knife hadn't gone in very far, thanks both to his ribs and the protection afforded by his issued Kevlar vest, so Nick didn't pay it much attention until suddenly it felt like Francine was sitting on his chest.

 **13 / Tied  
** It took more practice that he'd ever admit to, but the look on her face when he matched her obstacle course times _exactly_ made it worth every second.

 **14** **/ Hangover  
** Gently resting her head on the cool surface of her desk and blindly fumbling for the bottle of aspirin she kept in her drawer, Judy resolved to fully appreciate how _unbelievably amazing_ the Gazelle concert had been...just as soon as the room stopped spinning.

 **15 / Wrapping  
** He didn't have the heart to point out that carrot-themed wrapping paper kind of defeated the point of exchanging Secret Santa gifts.

 **16 / Tired  
** It was the worst thing she could have said to him: "I just… I just don't care anymore…"

 **17 / Air  
** _They said she was on the third floor… damn this smoke, I can't see a thing! Can't worry about that though, someone's cub is in here… gonna find her… can't let them down… gotta… find her… before-_

 **18 / Epiphiny  
** It took her a year to realize how he felt about her. It took him two.

 **19 / Mortal  
** "Dearly beloved, we gather here today to mourn the passing of a beloved comrade." As the priest addressed the assembled officers, Judy gazed indifferently at the closed casket. Beside her, she heard Nick choke back a sob as he wrung his own tail anxiously. She opened her mouth to offer some words of comfort, but none emerged. As the sounds around her began to fade and her vision was filled by warm and all-encompassing light, her last thought was to hope that her fox would be alright without her.

 **20 / Vote  
** "So," said Bogo, "who thinks I should _skip_ assigning parking duty today?" Every paw in the bullpen went up. "Well, it's a shame this isn't a democracy, now isn't it?"

 **21 / Excitement  
** The moment he got _that_ look on his face, she knew that trouble couldn't be far behind. But as much as she dreaded the inevitable consequences, oh _sweet merciful cheese and crackers_ did her fox ever know how to apologize.

 **22 / Entertainment  
** Like every other species, felines were _evolved_. As a race and as a culture, they'd long since discarded the shackles of savage instinct. They had chosen to follow the higher path of enlightenment, and carried themselves with the kind of dignity that reflected that philosophy.

Then Wilde had brought that damned laser pointer into work and everything descended into chaos.

 **23 / Bore  
** It was through sheer force of will that Judy kept her foot from thumping against the floor. The amount of time it took for Flash to tell a joke could be downright _excruciating_ – but his punchlines were _always_ worth the wait.

 **24 / Analysis  
** "These," Judy stated, spitting loudly, "are not real vegetables."

Nick cocked his head just slightly to the side. "You had to _taste_ them to know that?

 **25 / Footnote  
** "Do you think history will remember us after we're gone?" Judy wondered idly as she eyed the passing cars.

"Are you kidding me?" Nick grinned and cast his arms wide. "The History of Zootopia, Volume 4 –WildeHopps!"

 **26 / Goodness  
** Some mammals had their doubts about whether Nick had actually left his shady ways behind, but Finnick wasn't one of them. He'd always known that the larger fox had more in store for him than petty hustles, and was happy- and a little bit sad- that he'd finally realized it too.

 **27 / Rhythm  
** They lay quietly in the darkness, her ear pressed to his chest, his heartbeat slowly lulling her to sleep.

 **28 / Assault  
** For the longest time Judy had wondered how Zootopia managed to maintain its city-wide armistice, and why so few criminals actually _shot_ at ZPD officers. Then she saw what happened when a particularly bold coyote emptied his pistol into Officer McHorn's chest.

She didn't know which had been more frightening; the sound of gunfire, the sight of the bullets striking a fellow officer, or the mildly annoyed grunt McHorn offered in response.

 **29 / Encouragement  
** Larry sat down next to Gary, placing a paw on the other wolf's shoulder. Ever since being tricked into a howl at Cliffside – by a _bunny_ , no less – his partner had been struggling with a minor crisis of confidence.

"Gary, you need to shake this off. Don't let the rabbit get you down, right?"

Gary sighed. "I know. It's just...I feel so _stupid_."

"Hey, none of that nonsense." Larry place a paw under Gary's muzzle, guiding the white wolf's gaze to meet his own. "Tell me, who's a good boy?"

Gary grumbled quietly. The darker wolf, not discouraged, gently scratched his partner under the chin. "C'mon now, who's a good boy?"

"Me." Gary finally muttered, rolling his eyes slightly. "I'm a good boy."

Grinning, Larry threw an arm around his partner's shoulders. " _Yeah_ you are."

 **30 / Expert  
** "I don't know what to do." She whispered. "You know I'm really not great with relationships."

He sighed, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "And you actually want _my_ advice?"

"Only if it's my best friend's advice, Nick." She replied, looking up at the fox. "I don't need my ex-husband's."

 **31 / Complex  
** Try as she might, she couldn't save everyone. And every time a failure left her feeling a little broken inside, he'd come along to pick up the pieces.

 **32 / Degree  
** Nick wasn't remotely surprised that Judy had a BA in Criminal Justice, but she'd been a little nonplussed that he had an MFA in Theatre. "C'mon now, Carrots. Hustling or acting aren't that different. It's all about selling a story."

 **33 / Remark  
** "You don't need to worry yourself, Wilde." Aster quipped at the glowering fox sitting next to him. "She's really not my type."

Nick's surprise must have shown in his expression, because the tall hare chuckled lightly and continued. "Don't get me wrong - Hopps is as lovely a doe as I've ever seen. I just prefer a lady that isn't as long in the ear and short in the claw, y'know?"

 **34 / Schedule  
** It only took Clawhouser a few minutes to look up the respective mating seasons for foxes (December to February) and rabbits (February to May), but he still took a small measure of pride in figuring out why Nick and Judy were always so eager to reach the end of their winter shifts.

 **35 / Highlight  
** "I'll see you later, Ben!" The lovely caracal smiled as Clawhouser nodded dreamily. Melissa came by every day to drop off a basket of delicious treats from her bakery. She insisted that it was her way of showing appreciation for the ZPD, but the fact that she always lingered by the front desk to talk to Benjamin wasn't lost on anyone. His eyes were helplessly drawn to the hypnotic sway of her tail as he watched her leave, already looking forward to tomorrow morning.

 **36 / Charge  
** It was one of the first things Nick was told when he'd been assigned to Precinct One - Keep your cool, set a good example, and _never go full mammal_.

He hadn't really understood what that meant until he saw a cop killer ruthlessly hunted down by a pack of lupine officers, or an enraged McHorn charging full speed into – and through – a solid brick wall to apprehend a gang trafficking in kidnapped cubs.

 **37** **/ Luck  
** As he watches her sullenly throw her cards onto the table, he has to wonder how someone with _four_ rabbit's feet can be so bad at poker.

 **38 / Collect  
** When Judy learned that Chief Bogo collected coins she immediately called her parents and asked them to send late Uncle Paul's rare coin collection. She knew it wouldn't be a problem. In families where siblings were counted in the hundreds, any excuse to get rid of the extra clutter was welcome.

She'd giggled slightly at his expression when she'd said the collection was his to keep, and had imparted a piece of wisdom Uncle Paul had given her when she was still a kitten. "The things we're passionate about shouldn't ever be locked away – they deserve to be seen and treasured and one day passed on to someone who can appreciate their value."

Then she'd bounced away, leaving an utterly speechless buffalo in her wake.

 **39 / Baby  
** "If...if this is the end... _cough_...I just want to say...that I...I lo..." The fox gasped, wincing from the pain as he clutched his bunny's paw. His eyes fluttered closed and his head fell back, tongue dangling from his open muzzle.

The grey bunny - whose paw he held so dearly - rolled her eyes and reached over to flick the tip of his ear. "Quit being such a kit, Nick. It's just a splinter."

 **40 / Guarding  
** "I want you all to understand something." The snow leopard paused, thoughtfully observing the mammals that filled the room. "Although Hopps and Wilde have broken no Zootopian laws and violated no ZPD regulations, for obvious reasons, their relationship is...unpopular."

"These are just a small part of what we've managed to collect, and together they paint a very clear picture of what's to come." He gestured to a pile of letters sitting on a nearby table – some written in tidy cursive, some composed of angry scrawls. "There is a mob coming, gentlemen. A collection of Zootopia's most hateful, ignorant and frightened mammals coming to stomp out what they don't understand and can't accept."

The mood began to shift, a rumbling anger stirring just below the surface as the ZPD SWAT Sergeant levelled a hard gaze on the room. "If a conflict exists between your personal beliefs and your sworn oath as ZPD officers, _set it aside_. Because when that mob comes for them – and they will come – I intend to be standing in their way."


	2. Upsetting

**_Note: As always, I make no claim of ownership to the characters or settings._**

* * *

 _Nick's crusade against the illegal drug trade in Zootopia made his partner's devotion to the law seem like a passing interest. It wasn't until after he beat some low-level punk dealing nip in a schoolyard within an inch of his life that the bunny finally learned why Nick never spoke about his father._

* * *

The two officers sat on a park bench, watching as the badly-beaten drug dealer was taken away in an ambulance. Nick flexed his paw, peering at his own bloodied knuckles as Judy ended her brief phone call. "Bogo wants you to report to his office as soon as we get back."

The fox nodded silently.

"Nick..." She frowned when the fox tried to avoid eye contact. "What _was_ that?"

"I dunno." He muttered. "One less dealer?"

"Come on, Nick." She placed a gentle paw on his shoulder. "Talk to me."

He hesitated, letting out a weary sigh.

"He was a good father." He said softly. "And an honest fox."

Judy's ears shot up with surprise, but she made no comment and patiently waited for him to continue.

"He ran a tailor shop over on 43rd Ave - a pretty successful one, too – and every day seemed to live his life in contrast to every negative fox stereotype..."

ooooo

 **Everyone in our neighborhood knew Dad, and they all respected him. No small achievement, especially for a fox. Mammals from all over Zootopia would come to his shop to have work done.**

 **I remember when one customer – a moose, I think – said that he was surprised to see a fox using those nimble paws for something better than petty theft. Dad just smiled and reminded him that he hadn't seen the bill yet. The moose laughed, and ended up becoming one of Dad's regulars. Dad was just like that; you couldn't help but like him. But sometimes the universe can be cruel, even to a mammal like that, for no good reason at all.**

 **Rheumatoid arthritis doesn't** _ **sound**_ **like a life-ending disease, unless your livelihood depends on having steady paws. It was manageable for a time, but eventually his condition started to show in his work. A loose button here, a crooked stitch there. Before long, mammals started to take their business elsewhere.**

 **On the street they'd give him pitying smiles and pats on the shoulder, offer their sympathies and best wishes. They'd ask if there was anything they could do and he'd thank them politely, not commenting on their newly tailored clothing.**

 **As the pain got worse, he needed more and more medication to steady his paws and keep working. We had health insurance, but foxes don't have the best immune system to start with and the premiums for our species are pretty nasty. It wasn't long before he and Mom just couldn't afford it anymore.**

 **Some bastard at Zootopia General Hospital flagged him as a drug-seeker, and after that he couldn't find a doctor willing to write him a prescription. I guess even Dad couldn't outrun the "shifty fox" reputation forever.**

 **I can't really imagine what kind of headspace he was in - maybe I just don't want to – but I guess when faced with going out of business and failing his family, he took the only path left to him.**

 **I was just a kit. I didn't understand what was going on. I just know that Mom and Dad were sad, that they argued more and more. I might have asked why Dad stopped going to work in the shop.**

 **Then, one day, I came home from school and found Mom was standing in the kitchen, staring silently out the window. I had to shout to get her attention.**

 **She wrapped her arms around me and just started to cry. She told me that dad had left us, but he'd given her a message for me, that he said I needed to be brave. She told me that Dad had to go on a trip and she didn't know how long he'd be away.**

 **I believed that for so much longer than I should have.**

 **After that, life went on and eventually we learned to smile again. Things were actually pretty good - right up until the Junior Ranger Scouts, at least. I came home in tears that night, and told Mom what had happened. She hugged me and comforted me, said all the right words. But it felt like something inside me had broken.**

 **Over the next few years, I started acting out and getting in trouble. One day I got into a particular nasty scrap with some kits at school. It was stupid kit stuff – teasing and name-calling– but just like that the claws were out. I'd like to say I gave as good as I got, but I honestly don't remember.**

 **She came and picked me up, apologizing to the principal for my behavior and nodding quietly at suspension. As we drove she talked about how we had to be brave, not to show the mammals saying cruel things that their words hurt us.**

 **I was so angry at the world, in that way only a young mammal can be. I felt persecuted and indignant and suddenly I was yelling at her. I called her a coward that never stood up for herself** _ **or**_ **her species. An Uncle Tod, always smiling at the mammals that spat on us. I told her that Dad must've left because he'd been ashamed of her. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on her face when I said that.**

 **Mom** _ **never**_ **yelled, no matter how much trouble I got into. There were a few stern talking-tos, but she never yelled at me. This one time, I wish she had. I wish she'd smacked me upside the head and told me to smarten up. Instead she pulled the car over and did the most terrible thing she could.**

 **She finally told me the truth.**

 **Dad hadn't gone on some trip. After the doctors cut him off, Dad decided to get his pain relief from another source. The kind of source you find in an alley in this part of town. At first, the dealer supplied the same kind of pills he'd been prescribed, but you know how expensive pharmacy-grade painkillers are on the street. Eventually he compromised with something a little more affordable. Then something else.**

 **His behavior started getting erratic. He got short-tempered, his work became shoddy at best. He was losing customers, and started over-charging the ones that stayed to make up the difference. Over time, less and less of that money made it home.**

 **After a while, the shop had closed; even mammals he'd called his friends didn't go there anymore. He'd stay home all day and vanished off to who knew where at night. Sometimes he'd be gone for days and Mom would tell me he had gone on business trips; I'd always believe her, even when she was crying.**

 **One day she'd come home to an unusually quiet house and found him on the bathroom floor. She called an ambulance, but it'd been much too late. He'd died like a junkie, in a puddle of vomit with a needle in his arm.**

 **In an instant, she'd torn away all the lies and it was like I suddenly** _ **remembered**_ **Dad. All the vague, shiny memories I'd clutched to my heart fell apart and I could see how he'd looked near the end - gaunt face, matted fur, and desperate...** _ **shifty**_ **...eyes.**

 **It felt like the world was falling apart. I couldn't handle it, so I just jumped out of the car in a panic. Even though I could hear her calling my name, I never looked back. Maybe she was trying to apologize, but I just didn't look back.**

 **The next couple of years weren't easy, but I was lucky that I ended up meeting Finnick. The little jerk probably saved my life.**

 **I was about seventeen when I found out my Mom died. She got Lyme disease, couldn't shake it. I didn't go to her funeral – I wasn't the only one – but I try to take a measure of comfort that at least she got one. I've spent years searching the city's cemeteries, but I still don't know where either of my parents are buried.**

 **My family was torn apart because my father was desperate to keep us together. In that desperation, he turned to some lying mammal offering the worst possible solution. A mammal who took Dad's money even as he watched an innocent fox destroy himself, and who probably barely noticed the difference when he died. The drugs killed my Dad and managed to destroy three lives in the process.**

ooooo

Several minutes of silence had passed since Nick finished his story. Judy desperately wanted to offer some kind of comfort to her dearest friend, but had no idea what to say.

"There are predators, and then there are _predators_." Nick suddenly added, crumpling his empty coffee cup in one paw. "Lions and tigers, wolves and foxes – we're called predators because thousands of years ago we killed to survive."

Nick stood, tossing the cup into a nearby trashcan.

"Dealers prey on the weak and desperate, Carrots." He turned to face her, eyes blazing. "Not because they _need_ to, but because they _can_."

Judy fell into step beside him as they made their way back to their cruiser. "I'm so sorry, Nick. I mean..."

"It's okay, Carrots. I know." He sighed. "I think that, misguided or not, he went down that road out of love. That he was trying to be the mammal that his family needed, and walked into a world he didn't understand until it was too late to get out."

"Maybe that's naïve, but it's what I choose to believe. And it's how I choose to remember Dad." He gave her a faint, sad smile. "As a good father. And an honest fox."


	3. Gut

_He ate the donuts and they made him happy – the weight he gained made him depressed – so he ate some donuts and they made him happy – and the weight he gained made him depressed._

* * *

Sitting at his desk in the Precinct One lobby, he stared somberly at the box donuts sitting before him and reflected on the pattern they represented.

Ben wasn't an idiot; he understood perfectly well what a vicious cycle was. Unfortunately, _knowing_ that you're caught in a self-destructive pattern doesn't make it any easier to escape – especially when you know just how far you've fallen.

Like nearly all the officers at Precinct One, Ben had graduated from academy at the top of his class; back then he could run the 100m dash in six seconds flat. Over the next four years, he continually proved himself to be as capable as he was outgoing. It came as no surprise that many mammals had him pegged as a rising star. He had just reached his five-year mark when it all came crashing down.

Savannah Central had recently been having a problem an elephant pickpocket; strange as it seemed, mammals just didn't suspect someone as large as an elephant could steal their wallet. Ben's regular patrol route ran right through Savannah Central's most crowded areas. It wasn't long before Louis, his partner at the time, spotted one of the thieves in action. They ordered the elephant to freeze and – to nobody's surprise – he took off running.

Elephants were big, but they weren't very fast – not as fast as he was, at any rate. It only took Ben a few second to leave his partner in the dust, closing the distance and leaping onto the fleeing pachyderm's back.

Ben was on the thief for barely a second before he felt a trunk wrap around his middle. With a stomach-lurching pull, he was yanked off the thief's back and contemptuously thrown to the ground. Stunned, the cheetah was still trying to get the world to stop spinning when the elephant trumpeted angrily and brought a massive foot down on Ben's leg. He still can't remember the moment it landed.

It was pretty disorienting to wake up in a hospital room and the painkillers certainly didn't help matters. His mind was in a fog when the doctor came and spoke to him and although he'd nodded at all the right moments, he barely registered what was being said. A detached part of his mind reflected on how rare it must be for a physician use the word _pulverized_ in a professional capacity.

The short version was that the damage to his leg was beyond catastrophic - nothing of his shattered femur, tibia or fibula could be salvaged. If he'd lived anywhere but Zootopia he would have undoubtedly lost the leg.

The ZPD took care of everything, sparing no expense in his treatment. The ruined bones were surgically removed and replaced with next-generation prosthetics – carbon fiber composite layered over a titanium core. They were lightweight, virtually unbreakable, and Ben _hated_ them from the moment he woke from surgery.

No matter how many times the doctors told him he was imagining things, he just _knew_ that the new composite bones felt colder. He could acutely _feel_ where the artificial femur moved against his original pelvic bone. It didn't hurt – it just felt _wrong_.

It took more than a year of physical therapy for him to simply regain the _use_ of his 'new' leg. It would have taken twice as long to get back to where he'd been, but Ben had been more focused on getting back into uniform than getting back onto the running track. Luckily, the ZPD was able to accommodate him with an administrative position back at Precinct One. He knew he should have been grateful, but after living his entire life at high speed being stuck behind the dispatch desk was an utter nightmare.

Unable to move around, he found his mind spinning in circles. Like any cheetah, Ben had a metabolism like a nuclear reactor - mammals were amazed at how much food he could consume without consequence. An entire box of donuts was nothing when you did 90 minutes of uninterrupted wind-sprints every morning. Without that constant activity, however, all that metabolism did was leave him perpetually hungry. Face with nearly constant boredom, he started snacking just for the sake of having something to do.

Everyone felt terrible for him - so much so that nobody said anything when he'd begun putting on weight.

A fat cheetah was a contradiction in terms; the entire species had everything going in their favor when it came to staying thin. As a result, their bodies never evolved to accommodate the possibility of being so overweight. The more time went by, the more he found himself getting tired easily. After a while his mental focus and attention to detail began to suffer, making it easier and easier for him to get distracted.

On some level, he knew what was happening. But every time he tried to grasp onto it, his mind began telling him how hungry he was or reminded him that there was a new Gazelle video to watch. Grade-A denial, followed up by denial of _that_ denial.

On that note, there was a new app he'd been meaning to check out. Now where did he put his phone...

"Good morning, Clawhouser." Chief Bogo's gruff voice interrupted his musings. "We have a guest touring the precinct today, and I thought you'd want to meet her."

Pulling himself away from his search, Ben looked up and instantly felt his throat tighten in panic. Standing beside Chief Bogo, who was positively beaming, was Gazelle! The angel with horns! His _idol_!

 _Oh...EM... **GOODNESS!**_

"Ms. Gazelle, this is Sergeant Benjamin Clawhouser. He's the officer in charge of shift coordination." Ben numbly felt Bogo's hoof patting him on the shoulder. "He's also the finest dispatcher in the city."

She smiled warmly. "Hello, Benjamin. It's a pleasure to meet you."

As Ben's mouth worked silently in an attempt to find his own voice, the singer smiled patiently. Finally, he said the first thing that came to his mind. "I...I'm sorry."

Confusion danced over her delicate features. "For what?"

"I'm...I know I'm not..." He stammered, eyes downcast. For the first time in years, he felt as though he was drowning in shame. Before either Gazelle or the Chief could respond, he turned and ran away with what little speed he could still muster.

 _Stupid!_ He chastised himself as he ducked into the nearest empty office. _Stupid, flabby, useless cat!_

He couldn't say just how long he'd been there before the Chief came in, closing the office door behind him. He lowered himself to the floor beside the despondent cheetah, and the two of them sat in silence for a while, save for Ben's quiet sobbing.

"What happened just then, Sergeant?" Bogo finally asked.

"I don't... I just couldn't..." Ben stammered as he tried to formulate a response. "She's...and I'm..."

"Ah." Bogo nodded. "She came to visit the ZPD, and you didn't feel like you were a good representation.

"I'm not." Sniffling, the cat looked away shamefully. "Y-you called me the finest dispatcher in the city."

"Because you are." Bogo stated matter-of-factly.

"Look at me, sir. I'm not the finest of anything." Ben shook his head. "I can't imagine what she thinks of the ZPD now. Or what she thinks of me."

"In point of fact, Sergeant, she was quite concerned for you." Bogo informed him. "If you're interested, I'm sure she'd like to see that you're alright."

Ben shook his head vigorously.

Several more minutes passed without conversation, and eventually Bogo stood and brushed the dust from his pants. "Ben, you were injured – brutally – in the line of duty. You would have been entirely within your rights to retire with full pension and no mammal would have thought less of you for it - but you didn't. Instead you put the uniform back on and returned to duty. I hope you don't think I've forgotten that."

"I don't." Ben assured him.

"Good." The buffalo nodded. "I understand how hard it can be to fall. Spend enough time on the ground, the thought of getting up might be as intimidating as the fear of falling again. You might even be afraid to try. But let me tell you this..."

Ben looked up to meet the Chief's gaze.

"I will do whatever it takes to support the officers under my command, and I expect those officers to do the same for one another. As long as I'm in charge of Precinct One, there will _always_ be a place for you here - but it's up to you to decide what that place will be."

Ben considered that for a moment as Bogo turned to leave. "Chief?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Think nothing of it." Bogo replied. As he pulled the door shut, the buffalo glanced back over his shoulder. "I expect you to be back at your desk in fifteen minutes, Sergeant."

"Yes, sir."

ooooo  
 _A few days later..._

It had been some time since he'd been awake this early, never mind being up and about. He noticed a few other officers walking through the Precinct One lobby and nodded to each of them, receiving several encouraging smiles in return. Passing by the front desk, he determinedly swept the fresh box of donuts off its surface and into the trash bin.

A little apprehensively, he paused at the doors to the precinct fitness center. Reminding himself why he was there, he pushed his way through the physical _and_ metaphorical barriers.

Though he made sure to stretch thoroughly, doing his best to ignore the protests of long disused muscles, he was careful not to use the activity as a stalling tactic. He, of all mammals, knew a thing or two about avoidance.

Taking a deep breath, Benjamin Clawhouser stepped onto the treadmill and began to walk his first lap.


	4. Cheer

If _there was one thing Nick truly hated, it was when Judy got into one these moods. "C'mon, get up! It's almost six thirty, you can sleep when you're dead."_

 _He burrowed deeper into the comforter, growling at the enthusiastic bunny. "I can sleep when you're dead, you mean."_

* * *

"Oh, don't be like that!" Judy scolded as she bounced on the bed.

"Why not? It's our day off."

"Exactly!" She enthused. "We have all day free to explore the city! You can be my guide to the urban jungle."

He cast a baleful look at the rain falling outside and pulled the covers over his eyes. He briefly considered mentioning that part of the city actually was a jungle, but decided not to engage her. That was what she _wanted_. Maybe if he stayed very still, she'd just forget about him.

"C'mon lazy bones! Or do you just want to spend the whole day laying around doing nothing."

"I dare to dream, Carrots." He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to force himself back to sleep.

"Hmm...maybe if I just pulled the covers away...?"

He burst out from under the comforter to glare at her. " _Don't you dare!_ "

"There he is!" She smiled brightly.

He winced as he realized he'd fallen for her trap and flopped back onto the bed with a groan. "You're a monster…"

"But the sooner you get up, the sooner we can _do_ stuff again!"

Nick silently reflected on how difficult it was to stay angry with someone that actually missed you while you were asleep.

"Aww, does my handsome fox need kisses to revive him?" She teased, leaping onto the bed and peppering kisses on the top of his head.

"Nooooo..." The fox whined pitifully, softly batting at her with one paw. "Why are you so mean to me?"

Judy persisted until he finally managed to fend her off with an apple-shaped throw pillow.

"Fine then!" The bunny huffed, hopping back to floor. "You be that way, you grump."

Uh-oh…she actually seemed annoyed this time. Time for a change in strategy.

"How about this, Carrots?" Nick murmured, his scowl slowly melting into a sly smile. "I'll make you a deal."

Pausing at the bedroom door, Judy turned to peer at him dubiously. "…I'm listening."

"I will joyfully leap from this bed and participate in whatever exhausting activities you almost certainly have planned, if..." He paused for dramatic effect.

It only took a few seconds for her foot to begin thumping impatiently on the floor. "If..."

"If..." Grinning, he lifted the covers slightly. Although the sudden rush of cold air was profoundly unwelcome, it was the price he had to pay for his gambit to work. "You climb back into bed and cuddle with me for five minutes."

"W-what?" She backed away from him in shock. "But cuddles are my only weakness!"

"Take it or leave it, Fluff." He shrugged.

She hesitated, narrowing her eyes. "Just five minutes?"

He nodded sincerely, placing a paw over his heart. "And not one second more, I promise."

"Fine." She sighed, stepping forward and climbing under she sheets. "But I'm watching the clock, Slick."

"Of course." He drew her snugly against his chest, smiling at the pleased little noise she made. "You just go ahead and let me know when my time is up."

* * *

 _Several Hours Later_

Nick lazily glanced at the bedside clock and let out a faint chuff of laughter.

"Hm?" Came a soft inquiry from somewhere in his chest fur.

"Y'know," He mused, giving her a little nuzzle. "If you'd waited another twenty minutes, I probably would have gotten up on my own."

"I know." She murmured.

"Is that right?" He asked playfully.

"Yup."

"Did you just get impatient, then?"

"Nope."

"Then why did you..."

"Because this way we _both_ got to stay in bed all morning."

His brow furrowed briefly, then realization lit his face and he placed a soft kiss between her ears. "Sly bunny."

"Oh, shush."

-o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o-

 **This ended up significantly shorter than previous chapters, but made up for it by being much fluffier.**

 **Also, there are a couple of comic easter eggs in there, if you care to look.**


	5. Code

**_"Dispatch, this is Wilde - we're 10-23."_**

"Copy - Advise caution." Clawhouser responded, making a quick note in his logbook of the time Nick and Judy arrived on scene.

A suspicious individual had been reported creeping around a disused building in the textiles district, so Hopps and Wilde were sent to go check it out. The caller hadn't offered much in the way of details, but nine times out of ten these calls turned out to be nothing. At worst, it was probably some homeless mammal looking for a place to sleep. Either way, Ben expected to get the all-clear any minute now.

 ** _"Hopps here - 10-32. Possible armed suspect."_**

Or not.

"Understood – directing backup to your location." Ben replied, smoothly hopping to the ZPD Tactical frequency.

"Adam 1-4, Dispatch. Proceed to a possible 10-32. 1477 East Baobab."

 _" **Dispatch, Adam 1-4. Acknowledged**." _ The roving SWAT unit responded immediately. " ** _ETA, twelve minutes_** _."_

In the wake of the Nighthowler riots, the ZPD had enacted a new policy of having at least one quick-response tactical element in the field at all times. It had been a controversial decision to say the least, and many mammals - including a few members of the city council - were uncomfortable the more aggressive posture. The more extreme detractors decried it as the transformation of the city's police force into some kind of paramilitary organization.

Placing those thoughts aside, Clawhauser switched back to the regular patrol frequency. "Dispatch for Officers Hopps or Wilde - request status update."

Not receiving a response, he tried again. "I say again, this is dispatch for Officer Hopps or Officer Wilde - send status update."

Regular procedure was to rule out any technical issues before getting concerned, and with the speed and efficiently that comes with deep familiarity, Ben checked over the hardware and verified the frequency settings.

"All units, this is Precinct One Dispatch. Radio check."

 ** _"McHorn - Loud and clear."_**

 ** _"Delgato here - Loud and clear."_**

 ** _"Fangmeyer – You're five by five."_**

 ** _"This is Wolford – You're coming through clear as a bell, Benji."_**

One after another, the officers on duty verified Clawhauser's transmission; he acknowledged them each in turn and tried again to reach the unresponsive team. "This is dispatch for Officer's Hopps or Wilde – request _immediate_ status update."

Once again, the channel remained silent. Frustrated, Ben mashed his paw down on the transmit switch. "Wilde! Hopps! What is your statu..."

 ** _"10-33! Officer down! I say again, officer down!"_** The jarring transmission ended with the unmistakable crack of a standard issue ZPD taser.

In a flash, Ben switched back to the tactical frequency. "Adam 1-4, Dispatch! Shots fired at 1477 East Baobab! Officer down!"

 _" **Dispatch, Adam 1-4. Acknowledged**." _ The officer's professional tone now accompanied by a rumbling growl. " ** _We're code 3 - ETA, three minutes_** _."_

ooooo

 _Dammit!_ Judy cursed silently. _Why did I have to be such a dumb bunny?_

There hadn't been any signs of suspicious or unusual activity when they'd arrived on scene. They'd both been ready to write the call off as a nervous mammal jumping at shadows, but procedure was procedure; they decided to do a quick walk-around of the building, just to be sure.

They'd found the open window almost immediately. It wasn't much of an opening – just a few inches – but she'd insisted that they check it out. She was just about to call it in on the radio when Nick pointed out the damage to the window frame. He suggested that the window _might_ have been forced open by a pry bar or possibly a large knife. Deciding to err on the side of caution, Judy notified dispatch of a potentially armed suspect. Deciding to do a sweep of the interior, she got Nick to push the window the rest of the way open. She'd climbed in with her sidearm drawn, the fox reluctantly following close behind her

 _We never should have entered the building. Why the hell did we split up?_ Judy asked herself, as if it hadn't been her own ego that got them here. As if she hadn't acted with impulsive stupidity just to prove she didn't scare easily.

The horror flick they'd been watching the night before has been especially scary, so much so that she'd spent half the movie using Nick's tail to cover her eyes. Nick had been teasing her all day about being a 'scaredy-bunny', so she'd turned off her radio in a _pointless_ show of bravado– so they 'wouldn't alert the suspect' – and suggested they separate and sweep the building floor by floor.

She'd been clearing the second level when she heard Nick speaking loudly from the floor above. Gripping her weapon firmly in one paw and cursing her own recklessness, Judy cautiously made her way to the stairs. She switched her radio back on to notify dispatch and her ears were instantly assaulted by Nick's distressed howl. **_"...ay again, officer down!"_**

The bunny instantly abandoned any semblance of stealth, tearing through the darkened building. As she burst out the third floor stairwell, her sensitive ears picked up the sound of a discharging taser and pointed her to a room at the end of the hallway. Judy broke into a full-on sprint, leaped at the closed door and drove both feet into the handle with all the strength she could muster. The latch was torn free of the frame as the door swung open violently. Judy let the momentum carry her through the entrance, landing gracefully on her feet and sweeping her weapon over the room – and discovered nothing but a few boxes, a half-dozen display mannequins, and one very embarrassed-looking fox.

Lowering her taser, her brow furrowed as she attempted to decipher the scene before her. Slowly, she reached up to key her radio. "Dispatch, this is Hopps. Disregard last transmission. We're...um...we're all clear here."

 ** _"Hopps, Dispatch. Acknowledged."_** There was a brief pause. **_"What happened?"_**

 _Good question._ She scrutinized the stuffed toy bunny at her partner's feet, her eyes moving to the taser in his paw, then following the deployed leads across the room to...

 _What the heck..._

The fox aimed a scathing glare in her direction as the grey bunny began to laugh as he sent the equally grey toy flying across the room with an annoyed kick. Grasping his shoulder mic, he responded to Clawhauser's inquiry. "Dispatch, this is Wilde. There was a...misinterpreted situation."

Judy managed to get her amusement under control, shaking her head at the fox. "Oh no, Slick. You're not getting off that easily."

Peering at her quizzically, his eyes went wide when she reached for her mic. "Carrots, please don't."

"Dispatch, Hopps here."

 ** _"Hopps, Dispatch. Go ahead."_**

"Carrots...come on."

"Dispatch, Hopps – Be advised that Officer Wilde..."

"Judy, I am literally begging you..." He pleaded.

"...mistook a dummy for an assailant..."

"You're a monster."

"...and a..." Despite her efforts, a snort of laughter escaped. "...a children's toy for myself."

 ** _"Hopps, this is Dispatch...please say again?"_**

The fox glared at her balefully.

"Dispatch, Officer Wilde just tasered a mannequin to save a stuffed animal." Glancing over her shoulder, she added, "Please be advised that it was a very scary looking mannequin."

 ** _"Hopps, Dispatch. That's...er...acknowledged."_**

"I hate you so, so much right now."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" She asked as the petulant look on his face brought forth another peal of laughter. "It sounded like you said _I'm a great, big scaredy-fox_!"

"You're just loving this, aren't you?"

"Oh, Nick!" She pretended to swoon. "You're my hero! You saved me from that awful plastic demon!"

"That's rich coming from you, Carrots." Smirking, he jabbed a finger in her direction. "You sure came blasting through that door with a fury. Were you worried about little old me?"

 _" **Wilde, Adam 1-4. Acknowledge."**_ They both winced at clipped tone, Judy's grin vanishing as Nick's ears pinned back sharply. He tentatively reached up to toggle his mic. "Adam 1-4, this is Wilde. Go ahead."

 ** _"Wilde, Adam 1-4. You realize we were about twenty seconds from kicking in the door on a 10-33."_**

"Acknowledged, Adam 1-4. Won't happen again."

 ** _"We're not beat cops, Wilde."_** The SWAT officer made no effort to conceal the snarl in his voice. **_"We don't carry tasers."_**

Nick blanched at the implication. "U-understood, Adam 1-4."

 ** _"Do you still need backup?"_**

"Negative, Adam 1-4." He confirmed. "We've got things under control."

 ** _"Glad to hear it_**. **"** A hint of amusement crept into the tactical officer's voice. **_"I expect to see your suspect in a holding cell by end of shift. Adam 1-4, out."_**

Nick pinned his partner with a scathing look. "See what you did?"

"How is this my fault?"

"How do you think, little miss tattle-tale?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Look, let's just get this thing down to the car."

Resignedly, they each took an end of the tiger-sized mannequin and began carrying it toward the door.

"You really think they'll make us carry this thing all the way to the holding cells?"

"Carrots, I think they're gonna make us write up an arrest report and _book_ this thing into the holding cells." Nick grumbled.

The door to the service elevator had been chained up, forcing them to take the stairs. Despite only having to descend three floors, they were both exhausted by the time they finished awkwardly cramming the dummy into the back seat of their cruiser.

Settling themselves in their customary seats, they took a moment to catch their breath. Judy fidgeted with the car keys for a moment, then turned to face her partner. "Hey, Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think I look like a toy?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, Carrots."

"But you..."

"...just screwed up on _several_ levels." He cut her off. "Not least of which was acting as though you were a damsel in distress."

Her ears drooped a little further. "But when you looked at that toy, you saw..."

"I saw a giant figure looming over grey fur," He interrupted her again. "And I freaked out a little."

She cocked her head to one side, a little confused. "Why?"

"Look, I realize this sounds stupid," He explained. "But I _do_ worry about you sometimes, especially when we go up against large predators."

He raised his paws, forestalling her predictably annoyed response. "I _know_ you can handle yourself, and I'd never imply otherwise. But that's not going to stop me from worrying every now and then. I care about you and I don't know what I'd do if something happened."

Judy's annoyance melted away in a heartbeat.

"I'll do my best to keep it from affecting how I act." He assured her, smiling embarrassedly. "But I hope you'll forgive the _occasional_ act of misguided chivalry."

"Oh, Nick..." Smiling softly, she leaned over the centre console and planted a gentle kiss on the fox's cheek. "My hero."

Surprised, he lifted his paw to the side of his face. "...wow."

Judy felt herself start to blush. "Wow?"

"Wow." He nodded, then his signature smirk reappeared. "So should try to save you from scary things more often, then?"

"And he's back." Judy rolled her eyes, starting the car and pulling away from the building.

"Admit it, Carrots. I'm your knight in shining armor."

"Yeah." She laughed. "You're a regular _Don Coyote_."

"Does that make you my damsel in distress?"

"Said the mammal that needed a taser to take down a department store mannequin." She pointed out.

"Heh... Snarky bunny."

"Scaredy-fox."


	6. Sunlight

_He might've been nocturnal by nature, but the way her eyes sparkled in the light had him looking forward to every sunrise._

* * *

The way she spoke was the first thing Nick knew about Judy Hopps, but her eyes been the first thing to grab his attention...he'd never seen a pair quite like them. They were a strange match to her voice; an odd combination of sweet and authoritative.

For a second he'd actually been a little impressed, watching a tiny rabbit so effortlessly put an elephant on the defensive – on behalf of a fox, no less.

The funny thing was, he hadn't even been _trying_ to manipulate her into paying for the jumbo-pop; he actually _had_ forgotten his wallet and was just trying to bid a hasty exit. As they'd walked out of the ice cream shop, he'd actually been ready to change his opinion about cops...then her voice had taken on that oh-so-familiar patronizing tone as she went and called him _articulate._

Disappointed – though unfortunately not very surprised – he'd bid goodbye to yet another badge-wearing speciest and gotten on with his day. He probably would never have given her another thought if she hadn't caught up to him later on. Finnick had just driven away when she came stomping up to him, practically vibrating with indignation with - heaven help him - amethyst eyes filled with fire.

Although he'd managed to knock her down a peg or three with little effort, Nick was one of these misbegotten mammals that found females _particularly_ beautiful when they were angry. If you'd forced him at that moment – and I mean really put a gun to his head – he'd have begrudgingly admitted that he thought she was very pretty.

Y'know...for a bunny.

The next time their paths crossed, he'd gone for the classic 'bemused but dismissive' demeanor. As she paced him in her little three-wheeled joke-mobile, he'd been careful not to reveal his slight apprehension that a police officer – even a bunny one – was taking such a keen interest in his affairs.

Being a hustler had a lot in common with being a magician. Putting on a successful show meant keeping the audience's eyes where you needed them to be and, more importantly, _never_ letting them look too close - mammals that looked too close might see who was pulling the strings.

A careless magician might get booed off stage, but careless hustlers had far worse things to fear.

Not that he'd been afraid of a bunny. Persistent as she was, he couldn't imagine what she could actually do to him. Some would call those 'famous last words'.

Despite being a lifelong trickster, hustler and con mammal, he never saw it coming. He'd walked right into her trap, and the way she'd looked at him after she dropped the hammer – eyes half-lidded, hip cocked to one side, the tiniest little smirk dancing across her features – left him utterly speechless and a tiny bit thrilled.

The next few days were interesting, to say the least. Each and every obstacle that stood in her way, himself included, she blew right past. Her tenacity at Mystic Springs had been noteworthy, the way she'd tricked him into 'helping' at Tundratown Limo Service had actually been a little impressive, and the way she'd handled herself with Mr. Big had been downright awe-inspiring.

It wasn't until after their harrowing escape from Manchas and the subsequent death-defying fall through the jungle canopy that Nick realized he hadn't thought about the carrot pen for _hours_. That at some point he'd stopped being dragged around by some bunny cop and started following his friend, Judy.

In the wake of _that_ revelation, standing up to Bogo on her behalf had been a piece of cake.

He'd confided in her, helped her, felt an unexpected spark of warmth when she said he'd he'd make a good cop. He'd followed her into a terrifying former mental asylum, over a waterfall and – in some ways most frightening - right into ZPD's Precinct One.

And then, after the press conference – that goddamn press conference – when she come bouncing up to him.. He might not have been as upset if it hadn't been for her wide-eyed excitement, as if she hadn't just denounced every predator in Zootopia as a potential mindless killing machine. But when she'd offhandedly informed him that he was different, that he 'wasn't like them'...That stung worse that any anti-predator or anti-fox slur ever had. It made him feel like he was accepted here only by virtue of his association to her. It made him feel like she saw him as _tamed_ ; as a _pet_.

He'd been so angry at the idea that he'd lashed out at her, knocked her down so she'd feel as low as he did. Then he'd walked away, not needing to look back to imagine the devastated look on her face.

The feeling of satisfaction had been as sweet as it was short-lived. Eventually he was forced to acknowledge that he'd overreacted and that she hadn't meant what she'd said, not the way it had sounded. He wanted nothing more than to talk to her, try to explain how her words had hurt him. To show her that even as upset as he was, he still wanted her to be in his life. Instead his damned pride had him sitting in a folding chair next to Finnick's van, making an admirable effort at getting blind-outta-his-mind drunk.

"Goddamn bunny." Finnick growled, pacing back and forth as he slammed his bat against the concrete. "I swear if I ever see her again, Imma..."

He'd trailed off when Nick twisted to glare at him. The larger fox was barely aware of the beer can slowly crumpling in his paw as he silently _dared_ the fennec to finish that sentence.

"...I-Imma tell her that what she said wasn't cool at all." His friend finished awkwardly, moving back a step. "A-and politely, but firmly, ask for an apology."

Nick spent less time with Finnick after that, and more time at the bridge. He didn't attempt any more hustles, not that it was an option these days - too dangerous for a predator to try scamming anyone. Day after day, he went back to that bridge to be alone. It naturally figured that she would re-enter his life there.

It'd taken more strength than he knew he possessed to walk away, even if he'd only made it a few metres. Even frozen in place as he was, he knew he couldn't look at her. He could resist the sound of her voice if he had to, ignore that earthy scent. But he knew if he looked her in the eye and saw the soul she was laying bare, he'd be finished once and for all.

Squeezing the carrot pen in one paw, he almost didn't notice when he pressed the record button. His first thought, realizing he'd inadvertently erased his only recording of her voice, was accompanied by a wave of utter despair. His second thought, coming right on the heels of the first, was a glowing sense of elation that he was replacing it with a longer recording of her.

His third thought took a moment to collect itself before coming over and knocking him upside the head. He was an _idiot_! Here he was agonizing over a recording, when the bunny herself was standing _right behind him_. It was suddenly _so glaringly obvious_ that he was embarrassed it took him this long to figure out.

He'd fallen head over tail for Judy Hopps, so why the hell was he trying so hard to avoid her?

After everything, they'd reconciled as quickly and easily as they'd become friends. And although she may have thought she got away with it, he'd noticed the admiring once-over she'd given him in the truck. For a brief second, he'd idly wondered if Savannah Central had any good make-out spots...

The next few hours passed in a blur, as did many of the following days. Suddenly, he was the fox that helped save Zootopia. Complete strangers would come up to him on the street to shake his paw. He'd gone for weeks without paying for a meal or a cup of coffee. It would have made for some prime hustling opportunities if he wasn't so well-recognized.

It seemed like the fuss had barely died down before he found himself standing at the front gates of the Zootopia Police Academy, apprehensively trying to ignore the cold lump of fear that had settled in his stomach.

Turns out he needn't have worried, and on the day he graduated...he couldn't recall the last time someone had looked at him with such pride. Sharply returning her salute, he felt as though his heart might _burst._ That feeling hadn't gone away since.

Even though he loathed his alarm clock each time it forced him from his warm and comfortable bed at some a horrifying hour, he knew it's shrill cry also meant he'd soon be meeting up with Judy. No matter what shift they were working, they always got together beforehand at their usual café a few blocks from the precinct; mostly because Nick was a terrible cook and Judy's 'kitchen' consisted of a mini-fridge and a microwave.

If they were on second shift, three in the afternoon to one in the morning, they'd just pop in to grab a sandwich and maybe a couple of muffins for later. When they were working the third shift from nine PM to seven AM, they'd come in early enough to get a proper meal before they ventured out into the night. Judy was under the impression that third was Nick's favourite shift, and although she usually spent a significant portion of it fighting back yawns she never uttered a word of complaint.

He could only imagine her surprise if she learned Nick's actual favourite was first shift, which ran from seven in the morning till five PM. Objectively, it didn't seem to make sense. First shift not only meant getting up painfully early, but it was often both the busiest and least exciting of the three options. Even worse, it meant going home during rush hour - a harrowing experience for any small mammal, at best.

But all of that was worth it for that moment. Waiting for him outside their café, she'd turn to greet him and the light of the rising sun would make her coat shine like spun silver and her eyes sparkle. Then she'd smile and wave and he'd respond in kind, hoping he didn't _look_ as hopelessly love-struck as he _felt._

He'd mentally rehearsed his master plan, just as he had every morning for the last six months - sweep her off her feet, kiss her and confess his undying love. Today was no different, but instead he came to a stop a pace and a half away, grinned, and said. "Heya Carrots."

 _Dammit._

"Morning, Nick." She stepped forward to wrap him in a hug. "Ready for another day?"

"With you, Carrots? You know it."

It was Nick's turn to buy today, so Judy went to grab a table on the patio as he headed inside. Sidling up to the counter and placing their regular order, he received a shy smile from the young lynx behind the counter. "It's so nice to see the two of you in here every day. You're such a cute couple."

"Thanks." He replied, smiling wanly.

He used to try to deflect those sort of comments - he could never bring himself to outright deny them – but recently he'd just given up trying. That may be why he found himself quietly muttering as he dug for his wallet. "Now I just need _her_ to see that."

The lynx quirked a little smile but didn't say anything more. Maybe she understood how difficult it felt to be where he was, of maybe she thought he just needed to say it out loud.

Maybe Judy said the same thing to her every other day...after all, a fox could dream.

In the meantime, he had breakfast with his favourite bunny to look forward to.

There was no need to do anything right now. After all, tomorrow was the day he'd finally follow through on his master plan.

He really meant it this time, too.

Really, he did.


	7. Film

_Everyone had a good laugh when Wilde sent Body Cam footage of Clawhauser singing along to the latest Gazelle single to **Zootopia's Got Talent!** , but as he gawked at the television screen three months later, the fox couldn't help but wonder if the portly cheetah was in need of an agent._

* * *

"What even the hell?!" Nick exclaimed, gesturing at the screen in disbelief. "Benji can actually _sing?!_ "

"He really can." Judy agreed, smiling. "And you'd have known that if you ever came out to karaoke night."

Nick didn't respond, captivated by the sight of the outgoing cheetah ending his performance to a standing ovation, grinning and waving to the audience. Even the judges - David Hasselhog, Sharon Osboarne and Simon Cowbell – were blown away, joining the audience in their adulation.

"Look at it this way. You might get to be one of those mammals that say _'I knew him before he was famous_ '." His girlfriend quipped, elbowing him playfully. "C'mon – a bunch of us are meeting him for dinner after the show."

ooooo

Ben Clawhauser wandered into the small restaurant, grinning happily at the group of boisterous officers waving to him from the corner. Still slightly overwhelmed by the incredibly positive response he'd received, he didn't notice the well-dressed ocelot until he was practically on top of him.

"Tom Scratchowitz." The smaller feline grasped Ben's paw and shook it firmly. "I'm a producer with Wildlyfe Records. We're the agency behind Zootopia's Got Talent."

Ben blinked in surprise. "Uh...nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I saw your performance, Mr. Clawhauser, and I have to say I'm impressed."

"Oh, thank you." Ben smiled a little bashfully – he was still getting used to all the attention.

"If you don't have representation yet, you should give my office a call." He pressed a business card into Ben's paw. "I think we'll have a lot to talk about."

"I don't... I mean, I'm not..."

Scratchowitz held up a paw. "I've been in this business a long time, Ben...sorry, is Ben alright?"

The cheetah nodded silently.

Scratchowitz continued, smiling. "Even if you weren't planning to pursue a career in music, it's always a good idea to consider your options."

"Err...thanks, but I'm meeting some friends..."

"Say no more." He moved smoothly out of the way. "Have a nice evening, Ben."

"You too." Ben replied absentmindedly as he continued on his way, shaking his head slightly.

"What was that all about?" Wolford asked as Ben sat down.

"He said he was a record producer." The cheetah responded, tossing the ocelot's business card on the table. "He seemed like a nice mammal, actually."

The table's other occupants looked at one another uncertainly.

"Well..." Fangmeyer dragged the word out. "Just remember to be careful, Ben."

"Yeah, buddy." Wolford nodded in agreement. "There're a lot of mammals out there trying to make a quick buck."

"And make sure you have someone look over any papers before you sign them." Nick added through a mouthful of shrimp poppers.

"Come _on_ , you guys," Ben grumbled, rolling his eyes as he suppressed a flicker of annoyance. "I'm not some helpless cub."

"Of course not! That's not what we're saying at all." Judy quickly assured him, placing a paw on his arm. "It's just, y'know..."

He pulled his arm away, narrowing his gaze. "It's just what?"

Judy glanced at the others and took a deep breath. "It's just...you can sometimes be a little...y'know... _trusting_. We just don't want you falling in with the type of mammals who might try to take advantage of you."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Judy, I'm a ZPD officer, just the same as you."

"I know that." She assured him. "We just want to make sure you make the right decision."

The flickering feeling of annoyance grew into a flame. "What?"

"I..."

"Let's try that again, _Officer_ Hopps." He snapped, jabbing a claw in her direction. "I'm a ZPD _Desk Sergeant_ who joined the force when you were still in _high school!_ "

Judy's ears fell as she flinched away from him, and Ben felt an instant surge of guilt. "Oh, Judy...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I know we're friends and that you mean well, but..."

He stood, shrugging his coat on. "Look, I think I'm just gonna go home. Sorry I ruined dinner."

He was halfway to the door before any of them could respond.

"Hey, Carrots." She turned to find Nick giving her a concerned look. "Remember how you asked me to tell you when you started using the 'patronizing bunny' voice?"

Judy nodded slowly, eyes wide with apprehension.

"Guess what?"

Groaning, she lowered her head onto the table, long ears falling over her face. "Oh sweet cheese and crackers, what is _wrong_ with me?"

"Letting your mouth run away from you when you feel cornered?" Wolford suggested, idly chewing on a straw.

The rest of the table winced at the blunt comment, and Judy lifted her head just enough to glare at the wolf.

"What?" He shrugged, unrepentant. "Not _all_ the time."

ooooo

"Ben!" He turned to see the ocelot from earlier rushing across the parking lot. "I couldn't help but overhear. You okay?"

"I'm fine..." Ben trailed off, trying to recall the ocelot's name.

"Tom." The small predator reminded him. "Your friends didn't sound too supportive."

"They mean well."

Tom shrugged. "In my experience, every artist has a couple of friends that try to pull them back down. Might be because they're afraid of someone moving out of their lives; might just be that they're jealous."

Ben looked down at him skeptically. "They're just trying to look out for me."

"Fair enough." Tom conceded. "Look, I don't want you to think this is some sales pitch. It's pretty clear that I've put them off somehow and you shouldn't work with someone you're not comfortable with. If you like, I'd be happy to recommend another producer to you."

"You would?"

"Of course. It sucks, but I figure that creating something great means being willing to give something up."

Ben paused uncertainly for a moment. "You really think I could be a success?"

"Why not? You're already a star." Tom laughed. "I just want to see you shine as bright as you deserve."

"Wow." Ben muttered. "A star..."

"You know it, big guy." Tom extended his paw. "What do you say?"

Grinning, Ben firmly grasped the ocelot's paw.

ooooo  
 _One Month Later_

"This isn't my song."

"Darn right it isn't!" Tom agreed. "It's _better_. Trust me, this baby is gonna fly off the shelves!"

"Yeah, but it isn't _my_ song." Ben insisted. "I mean...it is a little. But was all the editing and auto-tuning really necessary?"

"Look, do you want it to be a hit or not?" The producer scowled. "Because of you do, it means compromising from time to time. You think Katy Purry got to where she is by refusing to work with her producer? Or Gazelle, for that matter?"

"No..."

"Of course she didn't, and I've actually worked with her before. She's a real professional, and frankly I'm not getting the same impression about you." Tom punctuated his statement with a sharp poke to Ben's chest.

"I...sorry." The cheetah slouched, defeated.

"Don't sweat it." Tom gestured for the studio technicians to begin wrapping things up. "I think we're done for today, anyway. Howzabout you head to the green room and grab something to drink. I'll have a car waiting out front to drive you home, and we can start fresh on Monday."

"Okay."

Shuffling down the hall, Ben couldn't believe how _exhausted_ he felt. Before the last couple of weeks, he'd never have believed that a mammal could get so worn out just by singing. He was in that studio every day – sometimes for hours on end - recording take after take. He'd lost count of how many times Tom had cut him off mid-take to tell him he'd done something wrong, and wouldn't be surprised if he'd begun muttering the phrase 'take it from the top' in his sleep by now.

Letting out a tremendous yawn as he pushed open the door to the green room, he made a beeline for the small refrigerator, failing to notice the other mammal in the room.

"It's the great equalizer, no?" He jumped at the unexpected voice behind him, nearly dropping his soda when he saw Gazelle smiling at him from a nearby sofa.

"I..." He trailed off.

"Studio time, I mean." She explained. "It seems like someone is always waiting on somebody else."

"I didn't know you were waiting..." Ben stammered.

"Oh, no." She waved a hoof at him, laughing. "I was only joking. I'm not booked for another hour."

"O-oh."

As his brain caught up with him, he realized that not so long ago he might've fled the room in embarrassment when faced with his idol. But for some reason, she wasn't nearly as intimidating wearing jeans and a faded t-shirt, a pencil behind one ear and a pair of glasses perched on her nose.

"Taking a break?" She ventured.

"Producer said we're done for the day."

"You're lucky." She gestured to her laptop. "I have a lot of work to do tonight. My last session was a little off-pitch, so I'm going to be re-recording a couple of tracks."

He gave her a confused look. "You're not just going to let the sound editors take care of it?"

"I _could_." She conceded with a shrug. "Goodness knows my producer would love that, but I try to avoid tuners and edits wherever I can."

"Oh! I'm sorry if I..."

"Please, don't apologize!" She laughed again. "You're probably right. I'm just being a perfectionist."

"No!" Ben practically shouted, startling her as he temporarily forgot his nervousness. "I mean, maybe being a perfectionist is what makes your music so beautiful and honest."

As far as Ben was concerned, her smile lit up the entire room. "You're Benjamin Clawhauser, aren't you? The Zootopia's Got Talent winner?"

Ben struggled for a response, momentarily stunned that - of all mammals - Gazelle already knew his name. "Err...yeah, that's me."

"Nice to meet you, Benjamin." Gazelle motioned to the chair across from her. "Have a seat, please."

Clawhauser sat down, anxiously fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

"You seem a little nervous." She eyed him for a moment. "Would I be safe in assuming you're a fan of mine?"

He nodded. "Heh...Am I that obvious?"

"Just a little." She chuckled. "Well, I know just the trick."

He cocked his head to the side, curious.

"I'm going to tell you three true stories, and then you won't be nervous anymore." Her eyes sparkled playfully. "Ready?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Ben gave her his full and undivided attention.

"Number one." She began. "When I was a fawn I was completely terrified of microwaves. I was certain that if I was in the same room while one was turned on I would melt into a puddle, and just the sound of the buttons would send me running. My father thought this was hilariously funny, of course, and often used it to his advantage when it was time for me to go to bed.

"Two." She continued. "For my sixteenth birthday, my best friend Louisa mixed up baking powder and baking soda while trying to make me a cake. We got into a huge fight after I threw it in the garbage, and didn't speak for days. Finally, I turned up at her door with a store-bought cake, crying and begging for a do-over. She gave me a big hug and told me she couldn't bear to see me so upset, partly because I was such an ugly crier."

He giggled slightly as she pretended to be insulted.

"And last but not least, number three. A couple of years ago I was having dinner with a _very_ handsome actor who shall remain nameless." She winked impishly. "I thought the evening was going wonderfully until I happened to catch a glimpse of my reflection on the dessert cart's polished lid..."

Ben leaned forward, captivated.

"There was a giant piece of spinach in my teeth, and I mean _giant_! It covered an entire tooth!" She revealed, wincing.

The cheetah gasped. "No!"

"Yes!" She assured him. "Then...oh goodness, I was so embarrassed... _then_ I let out this little screech that scared the waiter enough to knock over a peach flambé and set the tablecloth on fire!"

He burst into laughter, and when he wiped the tears away he discovered the strangest thing. His idol, the greatest singer of all time, the _Angel With Horns_ , had vanished. Instead, he found himself sitting across from Gazelle - a normal, if charming, mammal not so different from himself.

"So, how's that nervousness?" She asked with a knowing smile.

"It's...actually gone." He shook his head. "Weird."

"Works every time." She assured him. "You should think of some stories about yourself, too. It'll make your life much easier as a performer."

He turned quiet as the smile slipped from his face. Sensing the shift in his mood, Gazelle decided to take a shot in the dark. "I hope you'll pardon me for saying, but you don't seem to be enjoying your time in the spotlight."

He gave a noncommittal shrug. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Those don't sound like your words." She observed. "Your producer?"

"Yeah. He reminds me of that when I start slacking." Ben confirmed. A flicker of...something...danced across Gazelle's face. "Oh, that's right! He said you two have worked together before. His name is Tom Scratchowitz?"

"We have." She answered politely. "He's...very driven."

He fell back in his seat with a loud sigh. "You're not wrong there."

She sighed, taking off her glasses and looking at him seriously.

"Ben, I do what I do because it brings me happiness - the kind of happiness that pushes me to come to a recording studio at seven o'clock on a Friday night so I can finish the song I've been humming all week." She gestured to her laptop and the pages of written notes that surrounded it. "What you do should make you want to leap out of bed, not collapse into it. If being a professional singer doesn't make you feel that way, then you need to figure out what does."

"I don't...I mean, I love singing, but..." He looked up at her hesitantly.

She nodded, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I want to go back to the ZPD. I want to feel like I'm _helping_ the world – not just entertaining it."

"Well then." She leaned over to place a hoof on his shoulder. "It sounds like you've made your decision."

"Yeah, I guess I have." Ben agreed. "I'll talk to him on Monday, though. No sense rushing."

"That sounds very wise." She smiled warmly. "Good night, Benjamin."

"Good night, er...Gazelle." He responded, a little awkwardly, and left to meet his ride home.

ooooo  
 _Monday_

"So I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity Tom, but I'm gonna have to call it quits." Ben's whiskers twitched sadly. "I thought this was my dream come true, but I've realized that my place is with the ZPD."

The ocelot across the desk said nothing, glaring at Ben as the silence grew increasingly awkward.

"I hate to break it to you Benji, but that's not how it works." Tom finally growled. "Contractually, you owe us an album. And even if it never releases, you're still on the hook for whatever money the label spent on you. We're talking studio time, promotional expenses, production costs...the list goes on and on, and that's not even getting into _my_ fees."

Ben gulped as the bottom of his stomach seemed to fall out. "I..."

"Lemme make this simple for you, tubs." The smaller cat sneered. "This album _will_ be finished, mammals _will_ buy it, and you _will_ go on tour to promote it until the mindless hordes move on to the next fad. Then we deduct what you owe us from the profits, cut you a cheque for the difference, and you can go off on your merry way to wherever the hell one-hit-wonders end up."

Stunned, Ben struggled to formulate a response. "But...that isn't...you can't..."

"I can and I will." Tom leaned back, smiling smugly. "It's all in the record contract that _you_ signed."

"Actually," A sharp voice interjected. "It's funny you should mention that."

In the office doorway stood a smartly-dressed beaver, briefcase in paw, ignoring Scratchowitz's flustered assistant.

"Who the hell are _you_?"

"John Buckland. I'm with Webber, Buckland & Doe." The beaver answered politely. "I'm Mr. Clawhauser's attorney."

Scratchowitz peered at him dubiously. "Oh, is that rig..."

Buckland cut him off, loudly dropping his briefcase on the desk and withdrawing a thick sheaf of papers. "It is, in fact. And _this_ is a cease  & desist order regarding the publication or distribution of any and all materials related to Benjamin Clawhauser."

"You're joking, right?" The ocelot sniffed disdainfully, snatching the document from the attorney's paw. "On what _possible_ grounds do you expect this to stick?"

"Your involvement in the possession and distribution of illegally obtained Zootopia Police Department records."

"What?!" Scratchowitz's eyes snapped up. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"The police body camera footage of Mr. Clawhauser that you've been using in your promotional material." Buckland explained. "Which you obtained without prior authorization or court order."

"He _sent_ us that footage!"

"My client has no knowledge of how that footage came to be sent to the Zootopia's Got Talent offices at WildLyfe Records." Buckland countered. "Not that it's relevant, because as far as you're concerned it doesn't matter _where_ the footage came from. What matters is that you didn't report it to the ZPD the moment you received it, choosing instead to broadcast it on national television."

"This is absurd!" Tom cried. "The internet is full of leaked videos! News programs broadcast them all the time! How the hell is this any different?!"

"Online videos are generally posted anonymously." The attorney pointed out. "And journalists are sheltered under Freedom of the Press, whereas _you_ enjoy no such protection."

With a smile more predatory than anything Ben had ever managed, Buckland went in for the kill.

"Let me make this simple for _you_ , Mr. Scratchowitz." He offered. "This album _will_ be buried, the absurd bills levied against my client _will_ be voided, and after we leave today you _will_ forget that his contract ever existed. The alternative is a long and spectacularly costly legal battle followed by a much longer term in a federal penitentiary."

Tom's expression grew panicked, mouth agape and eyes wide with fear.

"It's your call, Mr. Scratchowitz." The beaver calmly shut his briefcase. "I'll be in touch."

With that, he led the stunned cheetah out of the record producer's office, guiding him to the elevator. As the doors smoothly closed, Ben spun to face the smaller mammal. "Who the hel..."

"One of my firm's more prominent clients requested that we look into your situation." Buckland coolly interrupted him. "They also asked me to remind you – and I quote- there are too many unhappy musicians in the world, and too few happy police officers."

Ben's eyes widened. "Are you talking about Ga– "

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss the details, Mr. Clawhauser." The beaver interrupted again as the elevator opened to the lobby.

"Oh... Well, can you thank them for me?"

"That, I can do." Buckland slid on a pair of sunglasses as they stepped out into the sunshine. "Have a nice day, Mr. Clawhauser."

"Yeah." Ben replied, watching him walk away. "You too..."

* * *

 **ZOOTOPIA GAZZETTE  
** REALITY STAR ABANDONS RECORD DEAL | _Angela Bearnard, Entertainment Contributor_

 _Benjamin Clawhauser, last season's winner on Zootopia's Got Talent, has parted ways with Zootopia-based recording label Wildlyfe Records. Reportedly, his actions were spurred by a desire to return to his former career as a city police officer. Although the label has not yet released an official statement, inside sources report that the company regards his decision as a breach of contract and that their legal team is investigating potential..._ [more]

* * *

 **MAMMAL WEEKLY  
** CAPTIVATING CHEETAH CHANGES HIS SPOTS...BACK _| Mary-Lou Shearmann, Staff Writer_

 _Ben Clawhauser, the lovable cheetah that took Zootopia's Got Talent by storm, has left the limelight in favor the red and blue lights he's accustomed to. The feline with the golden voice will be returning to duty with the Zootopia Police Department, choosing to serve and protect rather than sing and party._

 _Wildlyfe Records released a brief statement last week expressing their support for Clawhauser in his decision and wishing him the best in his chosen career. They haven't commented, however, on the firing of Thomas Scratchowitz, Clawhauser's former producer..._ [more]

* * *

 **THE ZOOTOPIA CHRONICLE  
** FORMER RECORD PRODUCER UNDER LEGAL SCRUTINY | _Devlin Tailford, Associated Press_

 _The Zootopian District Attorney's office released a statement today that they will be pursuing legal action against Thomas Scratchowitz, a former Wildlyfe Records producer accused of the possession and distribution of illegally-obtained police footage. The recently-released evidence indicated that the viral video of former Zootopia's Got Talent winner Benjamin Clawhauser may have been obtained without legal authorization, particularly highlighting the record label's failure to report receiving the footage to the proper authorities._

 _In response to these allegations, Wildlyfe Records has released a public statement condemning Scratchowitz's actions and declaring their intention to cooperate fully with the DA's investigation._

 _The evidence was uncovered by Minnie Dormaus, a legal researcher at the law firm of Webber, Buckland & Doe. The firm's senior partners have since made a public statement commending Dormaus's skill and integrity for bringing the evidence to light... _[more]

* * *

 **EON MAGAZINE  
** BENJAMIN CLAWHAUSER: A MAMMAL OF THE PEOPLE | _Richard Ramsden, Senior Correspondent_

 _While most mammals crave the trappings and glory of the spotlight, ZPD Sergeant Benjamin Clawhauser walks a much humbler path. Despite receiving a lucrative three-album deal with Zootopian recording label Wildlyfe Records, following his landslide victory on the popular reality television program Zootopia's Got Talent, Clawhauser chose to step out of the spotlight and go back to serving the citizens of Zootopia._

 _"_ _It's so important to do what makes you happy." The unassuming cheetah insists. "For me, that means putting on that uniform and trying to make the world a better place."_ [more]

* * *

 **A/N: Whoa...okay. This chapter** ** _really_** **got out of hand and ended** ** _way_** **longer than anticipated. Well, better for all of you, I guess?**

 **On a side note, I'm having way too much fun thinking up animal-themed names for new characters.**


	8. Natural

_"So, an anonymous source gave you a tip that the meet is happening at Mystic Springs Oasis."_

 _"Yup."_

 _"And to catch the suspect, you and I have to go undercover in a naturalist club."_

 _"You got it."_

 _"And that this will be the fifth time in two months?"_

 _"Pure coincidence, Carrots. I assure you."_

* * *

Stepping into the Mystic Springs Oasis, Judy paused to take a deep breath and let the warm incensed air roll over her. Her eyes were slow to adjust to the dimly-lit foyer, but as she approached the front desk she could clearly hear the familiar chanting of the spa's bovid desk-mammal. She let out a little cough to get his attention and, blinking slowly, he peered down at her. "Hey, bunny! How's it hanging?"

"Hello Yax." She smiled politely, eying the ever-present cloud of flies circling his head. "I'm alright. You?"

"Keepin' on." He grinned lazily. "They got you here for another stakeout?"

She sighed at his lack of subtlety. "Yup, it would seem so."

"Got it." He nodded. "Well if you catch the bad guys in time, Nangi's afternoon class starts 'round three."

"Thanks."

"Cool." He lowered the large sign-in book to within her reach. "Just need your autograph and you can go on through. I'll let your know fox you're inside."

Judy thanked him and headed to the female changing room. She was barely out of the lobby when a particularly smug-looking fox came sauntering in the front doors with a spring in his step. "Yax, my mammal! Having a good morning, I trust?"

"Oh, yeah fer sure." The yak nodded, disturbing his swarm. "You here for another stakeout?"

Nick's ears twitched as his grin widened. "I am indeed, my friend."

"Right on, man." Yax nodded. "Your bunny is getting changed, but I'll give her the heads up that you're getting ready."

Yax calmly returned to his meditative chanting as Nick gave him a jaunty salute on the way to the male locker room. Even as he hummed a cheerful little tune to himself, Nick still felt the familiar tingle of guilt in his stomach.

ooooo

As she got undressed and placed her clothes in the nearest empty locker, Judy wondered how much longer she was going to allow this to go on. Obviously she didn't believe these anonymous tips, and she doubted Nick did either. As likely as not, it was some teenager trying to put one over on the ZPD for a laugh. Nick _had_ to have realized that by now, judging by the hidden smile when he didn't think she was looking.

Judy took a deep breath, concentrating on _not_ being annoyed at her partner. Was it really necessary to keep volunteering them for these stakeouts, just to have a laugh at her expense?

She'd gotten used to his occasionally sharp-edged sense of humor over the last year and knew that this was _exactly_ the kind of thing he'd find hilarious. He'd never admit it, though. If she asked outright, he would look at her with that mockingly serious expression and remind her that _she'd_ been the one to convince the Chief that it was their duty to follow-up on any tip, no matter what. Of course, that had been _before_ she'd known where the tip would be leading them.

She didn't have the best memories of this place. Mystic Springs had been the first place she and Nick had ever gone together, and a small part of her still resented his petty attempt at upsetting her that day. Even though she fully understood his reasons, she could clearly remember the smirk on his face as he enjoyed her discomfort.

Shaking her head and closing the locker, Judy resigned herself to being a professional and made her way out of the locker room, clutching a wide-brimmed sun hat to her front, her back firmly pressed to the wall.

Lifting the fur from his eyes, Yax stood and walked to where the small officer was obviously trying to psych herself up. "Hey, bunny."

She snapped her head round to look him directly in the... "Gah!"

Rolling his eyes, Yax kneeled down to look her in the face. "Look...I hate to mess with your whole tough bunny vibe, but you're really killing the atmosphere 'round here."

"I..." She cocked her head to one side. "...what?"

"Animals come here to chill, man." He let out a slightly uncharacteristic sigh. "They want to feel like they can express themselves without being, like, judged or sexualized. And that's tough 'round someone who's all...y'know...wound up."

"Sorry." She looked away guiltily. "I'm working on being more relaxed, but..."

"Whoa now. Hittin' that ol' pause button right there." He interrupted, holding a hoof up. "You don't _work_ on _relaxing_ , man."

She shrugged helplessly.

"Look, you just say the word and I'll tell the fox you had to leave for some super important reason."

His words seemed to reignite the fiery determination in her eyes. "No. No, I'm fine."

As if on cue, Nick strolled up to them wearing nothing but a pair of aviators and his customary smirk. "Ready to go, Carrots? We're burning daylight."

It wasn't fair, she decided as she followed her partner out to the main courtyard. What gave him the right to be so _damn_ casual about this?

"Ready to have some fun, Carrots?"

She narrowed her eyes at the insufferable smirk he aimed down at her. "Nick, can you at least try be professional about this?"

"I am." He insisted, leading her to a pair of lounge seats by the pool. "We're surrounded by mammals that are relaxing and having a good time. Anyone who isn't sticks out like a sore tail, so you could at least _pretend_ to be enjoying yourself."

"Right." She put on a sickeningly sweet smile and once again resisted the urge to smack him upside the head. "Is this better?"

"Much."

ooooo

"Well, there's another eight hours I'll never get back." Judy muttered as she waited for Nick in the lobby. "What a colossal waste of time."

"Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man." Yax responded as he lowered the sign out book to her height.

"Sorry, Yax. I didn't mean..." She gestured vaguely at the doors separating the lobby and courtyard. "I just meant the stakeout was a flop."

"Don't sweat it." The yak shrugged. "By the way, if you two are gonna be having any more stakeouts this month it'd be way cheaper to get a membership than to keep paying the drop-in rate."

"No offence, but I'm hoping we're done with the stakeouts." Judy shook her head. "Besides, I doubt the ZPD would spring for two memberships. I'm surprised they've paid for us to be here at all."

"Dunno what to tell ya, bunny." Yax shrugged. "They only paid for the first one. The fox has been picking up the tab since then."

"Nick?"

As if summoned, the fox emerged from the male locker room. "Are my ears burning, fluff?"

"Nick, have you been paying the fees for our stakeouts here?"

He froze, eyes wide and ears pinned sharply backward. "I..."

She huffed. "I can't believe the department is making you submit for reimbursement every time. You're not made of money!"

"No...it's..."

"It's ridiculous, that's what it is!" She planted her paws on her hips, features set in a determined expression and completely unaware of the panic on her partner's face. "First thing tomorrow I'm going right to Chief Bogo and saying..."

"No!" Nick cried. "I mean, there's no need for that. It's fine."

"It's not fine, Nick." She scolded him. "It's completely unreasonable that the department only fronted the cost of _one_ stakeout."

"Heh...funny you should say that." He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "The department may only have been _aware_ of one stakeout."

Judy stared at him, dumbfounded.

"I mean, the first stakeout was one hundred percent necessary. Some dealer thought it'd be safer to do business if everyone was too embarrassed to look at you in the eye."

"Embarrassed?" She asked, confused. "But no one here is..."

"The slightest bit embarrassed to look at a naked mammal?" He finished, laughing nervously. "I guess he didn't think that far ahead, or consider how tough it is to conceal anything without pockets because he never made it past the lobby."

"He didn't?"

Nick shook his head. "Yax here noticed a skunk acting suspiciously in the locker room and trying to conceal a packet of something in the fur of his tail."

The yak had called the ZPD, dispatch had forwarded the information to Nick, who had then notified their backup. The suspect had been in custody moments later, without even setting foot inside the club.

"How long was that after we arrived here?"

He winced.

"Nick." She warned him, her voice eerily similar to the one her mother had often used when Judy was still a kitten.

"About an hour." He answered hesitantly. "And a half."

"An hour?!"

"And a half."

"So we stayed for another seven hours because...?" She left the question hanging, eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Well, we _were_ already here." He shrugged. "I thought it'd be nice to relax?"

"And the reason we came back on four other occasions?"

He shrugged, apparently lacking a better answer.

"Nick..." She repeated, her voice rising.

"C'mon, Carrots." He whined, looking away.

She crossed her arms, scowling as her foot drummed a rapid staccato on the floor.

Nick gestured indistinctly at her, not quite making eye contact. A long silence followed as the gears in Judy's head began to turn. As it drew out, he began to shuffle his feet awkwardly. The faint buzz of flies seemed to grow steadily louder as his partner stared at him, her eyes widening in disbelief. "... _what?_ "

He took a cautious step closer. "It's not what yo..."

"Stop." She threw a paw up between them. He halted in mid-step, jaw snapping shut.

"Are you honestly going to tell me," She asked slowly. "That you've been dragging me here - under the false pretense of actual police work, no less – just so you could get an eyeful?"

Yax's eyes darted back and forth between them as he shuffled toward the door. "I'm...uh...gonna give you two a minute."

"Umm...no?" Nick responded weakly.

"I...I..." Judy stammered. "I don't..."

"Okay, I think I know what you're thi…"

"No." She cut him off sharply, taking a deep breath as she locked eyes with the nervous-looking fox. "Here's what's going to happen. I am _leaving,_ you are _not_ coming with me, and I'll let you know when I'm calm enough to talk about... _this._ "

"You...um...seem pretty calm now." Nick ventured.

Judy grasped his necktie and ignored his frightened yelp when she wrenched him downward, eyes blazing as she growled at him. "I'm _not_ calm now, Nick."

She released her grip, sending him tumbling backward. By the time he regained his bearings, she was already gone.

ooooo

He managed to hold out for an entire day before he called her, but he wasn't surprised when it went right to voicemail. He texted her and received no response, even though he could see the message had been read. So he called again. And again. And again.

On the fifteenth call, she finally answered. "What do you want, Nick?"

"Can we talk? Please?" The fox pleaded, clutching the phone to his ear.

The line was silent for a long moment – long enough for him to fear she'd hung up on him. Finally, she gave a soft sigh. "Yeah, okay."

"Thank you, Carrots." A wave of relief rushed over him. "I can be there in about fifteen..."

"No, Nick." She interrupted. "Meet me tomorrow at the Snarlbucks on Second Avenue. The one by the waterfront. Eleven o'clock."

"Oh." He paused awkwardly, his smile fading. "Sure."

Judy hung up without saying goodbye; the dull click left a cold lump of dread in Nick's stomach.

ooooo

They sat in awkward silence, staring at their drinks.

"Nick...I _thought_ I was showing up to a legitimate assignment. An assignment I _hated_ , but a legitimate one all the same." Judy let out a faint chuff of air. "At worst, I figured you were just taking advantage of that to have a laugh at my expense."

"I'd never do that..." He responded weakly.

"No? But you'd lie to me, apparently. I was under the impression that we had a real friendship, Nick...not some hustle so you could score a free peep-show." The disappointment in her eyes broke his heart.

"Judy, I..." He looked at her pleadingly. "I was just trying to..."

"To...?" She pressed.

"To show you...how I felt about..." He trailed off again, unable to find the words he needed to say.

"Oh Nick." She ran a paw over her ears. "Not too long ago, I would have given so much to hear you say...well, it doesn't matter now"

Judy looked at him seriously as he idly picked at the edge of his cup. "I've already put in a request to have each of us assigned to a new partner. I said that we both wanted more experience working with larger mammals, so hopefully the Chief won't ask too many questions."

She held up a paw, cutting off his startled response. "I still think you can be a good cop, Nick, but you'll have to do it with someone else. I'll see you at work on Monday."

She finished her tea, put on her coat, and had almost made it to the door when he called out to her. "Carrots, wait!"

She stopped, but didn't turn around to face him. Even so, Nick knew a last chance when he saw one – he'd let enough of them slip through his claws over the years. _Not this time_ , he told himself.

"A long time ago you said something that hurt me, we didn't speak for three months and those were the longest three months of my entire life. I can't...I _won't_...go through that again. I don't want to lose you just because I was an idiot."

He searched her stance for any indication that he was getting through to her.

"Nick," She finally said, her voice was tinted with anger. "Do you have any idea h-how _exposed_ you made me feel? How _betrayed_?"

Her response felt like a bucket of ice-cold water dumped over his head.

"Yes." He admitted shamefully, eyes fixed on the floor.

"Do you?" She snapped, turning to face him. "Really?"

He nodded, unable to look at her. "You went somewhere with a mammal you trusted, thinking you were among friends. Then the rug got pulled out from under you. Suddenly it was like the whole world was laughing in your face and you were left feeling confused and humiliated a-and stupid..."

He paused as his throat suddenly went dry, fighting back the bitter memory of a long ago scout meeting. "I-I've been where you are, Judy - you know I have - and I can barely stand the thought that _I'm_ the one that put you there. I was wrong to do what I did, no matter what my reasons were. I was stupid and immature and cowardly. But all I'm asking for... _begging_ for...is a chance to regain your trust. Please don't take another partner."

In the silence that followed, he was suddenly aware of the glares he was receiving from the other mammals in the coffee shop. His ears caught more than a few muttered anti-fox slurs from the crowd, and he heard one of the baristas ask another if they should call the police. Gathering his courage, Nick forced himself to look up. Finding only an impassive gaze, the fox felt a painful tightening in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Nick. Starting next week, I'll be working with someone else." Pushing the café door open, the bunny stepped out onto the street and apparently out of his life.

Nick struggled to think of something – anything – more to say or do. He felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as he cursed himself over and over for destroying what may have been been the greatest friendship of his life.

"But..." His eyes snapped up to see the door still slightly ajar, held by a single grey paw. She slowly pushed it open again, looking back to scrutinize the despondent fox.

"B-but...?"

"But...I'll see you at work on Monday." She repeated with a tiny glimmer of warmth in her eyes, and Nick felt an equally tiny spark of hope in his heart. "Don't be late."

* * *

 **Lesson of the day: If you like someone, just tell them. Don't be a creep.**


	9. Triangle

The other officers had predicted a little drama when the ZPD hired its second bunny. They'd never have imagined that the new doe would take to Nick like she did, or that Judy would end up being the odd one out.

* * *

"Morning, Nick."

"Morning." Nick grinned, handing the bunny a small Snarlbucks cup. "I got your usual."

"Aww. And to what do I owe such a sweet gesture?"

He put a paw to his chest, a half-believable look of shock on his face. "Can't a fox just do something nice for his partner?"

She peered at him skeptically, hiding a smile. "I can't help but feel like you're up to something."

"I might be." He answered playfully, winking at the bunny over the top of his mirrored aviators. "Of course, if you were looking to get up to something..."

She stepped a bit closer. "I wouldn't need to look very far, would I?"

"AHEM!" The two of them snapped out of their little bubble, turning to the annoyed-looking gray bunny standing nearby. "If you two are done playing around, morning briefing is in five minutes."

They shared a glance, trying not to smile as Judy Hopps - the ZPD's first bunny - shook her head and limped away.

It had been three weeks since Judy had managed to fracture her leg chasing a suspect. The break hadn't been serious and she managed to get by with a walking cast, but Bogo had still placed her on six weeks of light duty. unfortunately, that left her partner without anyone to patrol with, so Mammal Resources had paired Nick with the only other ZPD member his size – Officer Annabelle Briar.

Briar was the second bunny to join the ranks of the Zootopia Police Department, proudly following in Judy's own paw prints. Like Judy, Briar had excelled at the academy and similarly been assigned to Precinct One, throwing herself into the job with all the passion and tenacity of the rabbit she so respected.

Despite her inexperience, she and Nick got on like a house on fire, developing a nearly instant rapport. Annabelle was born and raised in Zootopia, a peculiarity among rabbits. Though she'd grown up in the Rainforest District, the oldest daughter of a successful grocer, she still knew the city like the back of her paw - almost as well as Nick did.

The various officers shuffled into the briefing room for roll call, most falling into their usual seats. Judy – being unable to hop up to her regular seat with Nick – had to wait until Francine was seated so the elephant could lift her to sit on the table. She found the process a little embarrassing, thinking it made her look like a stuffed toy. Francine was very polite about it, though – and quick to glare and any officer that might see fit to mock the temporarily impeded bunny.

As Chief Bogo entered the room to the customary hoots and hollers, Judy enviously gazed at Briar standing next to Nick. She knew it was silly, but that chair was their chair – her and Nick's – and Judy did not like seeing him sharing it with someone else.

"All right, Shut it!" The Chief bellowed, holding up a case file for the entire briefing room to see. "Before we get started, I'd like to congratulate Officers Wilde and Briar for their discovery of a massive nip growing operation in Sahara Square. Although the investigation of the scene is ongoing, our crime scene analysts estimate the crop's value at nearly a quarter million dollars. Wilde, Briar...good work, both of you."

More hoots and cheers filled the room as the tawny bunny, practically vibrating with happiness, turned to give Judy a thumbs up and an excited grin. Judy could only muster a watery smile in return.

Ugh, a tiny voice in the back of her mind muttered. Gloat some more, why don't you?

While everyone else headed off on patrol following the morning briefing, Judy listlessly hobbled back to her small cubicle for another long day of paperwork.

As she pulled the latest form from the top of the pile, she reflected on how much it bothered her when Nick had stopped loitering around her desk. Not so long ago she'd have been shooing him away with a firm reminder to get his paperwork done. Then he'd saunter off with that insufferable smirk of his and she'd get back to whatever she'd been doing, knowing that he'd be back in about ten minutes to distract her again.

She'd been looking forward to a little Nick-free time so she could get some work done, but was surprised to find that she missed the fox's constant interruptions. As the hours crawled passed, she longed for her partner to come by with a joke or some ridiculous piece of office gossip; anything to break up the painful monotony of her day.

As the shift's end finally drew near, she packed up her desk and slowly made her way across the bullpen to where Nick's oft-neglected desk sat. Pleased to find him sitting there, she picked up her pace till she was leaning against his desk and casually glancing at whatever the fox was working on. "Hey Nick."

He looked up with a smile. "Hiya, Carrots. How's it going?"

"I'm actually done and completely ready to get out of here. Feel like getting something to eat?"

Nick winced slightly. "Ooh, no can do. Annie and I are catching a movie."

"Oh, okay. No problem." Judy's ears fell the slightest bit. "What are you guys seeing?"

"That new horror flick. Not really your thing." He shrugged. "Rain check, though?"

"Sure." She smiled, suddenly not feeling very hungry as she headed in the direction of the locker rooms.

* * *

Later the following week, Judy was chatting with Clawhauser at the front desk when Annie came jogging over from the bullpen.

"Hey guys. What's new and amazing?"

While Judy politely returned the greeting, Ben regarded the rookie with an uncharacteristically cool expression. "What can I do for you, Briar?"

The bunny hesitated. "Um...I'm supposed to see you about some case files that got sent up from archives?"

"What are the file numbers?" He asked, a little impatiently.

She pulled out her notepad, rattling off a short list. Ben nodded curtly, then turned and began flipping through the filing cabinets behind him.

As he did, Annie leaned over to whisper to Judy. "Does Ben seem a little...annoyed...to you?"

"A little, maybe."

"He doesn't seem to like me very much, but I can't figure out why. Nick says he likes everyone."

"Maybe his blood sugar is low?" Judy shrugged. "That reminds me, do you know where Nick is? Once the shift ends, he's usually the first one out the door."

"Back in the bullpen. He and I are going to stay late and finish off our paperwork."

"Oh. Need any help?"

"Thanks for the offer, but we're just doing incident summaries." Briar grinned wryly. "You kinda had to be there."

Judy laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Clawhauser coughed loudly, reclaiming Annie's attention as he held out a short stack of files.

"Thanks Ben!" Annie grabbed the folders, quickly making her way over to the bullpen doors. "Later Hopps!"

"Homewrecker." Clawhouser muttered once he figured Briar was out of hearing range, though the brief hitch in the other rabbit's stride hinted that she hadn't been quite far enough.

Judy gave the cheetah and appalled look, smacking him on the shoulder. "What the hell was that, Clawhouser?!"

"Oh..." He stammered, clearly surprised at her reaction. "I just..."

"C'mon, Ben. That was completely inappropriate and you know it."

The cheetah looked down, fidgeting with a pen. "I'm sorry."

"You know I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"Judy, I just..."

"Go. Now." She pointed toward the bullpen. "Before you end up getting reported to Mammal Resources."

Even as she scolded the abashed cheetah, there was a small part of her that cheered at his words. If she was being one hundred percent honest, she sometimes wanted the other bunny to just disappear so she could go back to having Nick all to herself. But Briar was a fellow ZPD officer and, by all accounts, a good mammal. She hadn't done a thing to deserve that kind of treatment.

* * *

When she finally got the all-clear to go on active duty again, Judy could barely contain her excitement. Nick, on the other hand, seemed a little hesitant to return to the status quo.

"When you think about it," Nick argued. "It'd be better for Briar's professional development to patrol with a more senior officer for a little while longer."

"Her professional development?" She repeated dubiously.

"Absolutely." He insisted. "She's really advanced in the last six weeks. I don't want to break her stride now."

She shook her head. "She can gain just as much experience with another senior officer. I am going stir crazy, Nick. We need to get back out there."

She briefly thought Nick looked disappointed, but that smile of his was back in place so quickly she decided she must have been imagining things. "Fair enough, Fluff. Wildehopps rides again, eh?"

"You know it!" She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "How about we go grab a drink to celebrate? My treat."

He shook his head and her heart sank a little. "I actually can't tonight."

"That's cool." Judy tried to sound casual. "Having dinner with Annie again?"

"Yeah, that's the plan."

"You guys sure are spending a lot of time together." Beneath her desk, she pressed one paw firmly down on the other to keep either of them from thumping on the carpet. No matter what she did, it felt like she and Nick were drifting apart – though she also felt a little silly thinking that way; after all, it had only been six weeks since they'd last been on patrol together. "You'd think the two of you would be sick of each other by now."

"I guess." Nick replied with a shrug.

"Going anywhere special?"

"We were just gonna order take-out."

Judy felt the familiar hollow sensation in her stomach grow into something not unlike fear. "Take out? At your place?"

"Her place, actually. We're doing a movie night." Nick grinned. "Annie has a bunch of truly godawful B-movies on blu-ray. We're gonna watch Invasion of the Bunny-Snatchers, Marmots from Planet X, Mecha-Mammal AND Mecha-Mammal II: The Capybara's Revenge! We're gonna mock the hell out of them in all their high-resolution glory!"

"Sounds fun."

The fox paused, peering at his friend. "Something on your mind, Carrots?"

"Not really." She fiddled with a pen on her desk. "I guess I just miss hanging out with you."

"Oh, well...uh..." Nick made a strange face. "You wanna come along?"

Judy was a little surprised at the invitation and – judging by his expression – so was Nick. Unfortunately, by the time she decided it would be more appropriate to decline they were already on their way to Briar's apartment.

Annie blinked in surprise when she opened her door and found twice as many mammals as she expected. "Oh...heya Hopps. I...didn't know you were coming."

"Yeah, Nick invited me." Judy smiled, subtly eyeing the other doe. She couldn't put her finger on it, but Annabelle seemed to look a little too…pretty…for a movie night. Then she saw that Nick definitely noticed how good Annie looked and felt her stomach twist slightly.

"Oh." The other bunny repeated as she gave Nick an inscrutable look. "Well...grab a seat then, I guess."

That was how Judy found herself in Annie's apartment, sitting on Annie's couch with a bowl of popcorn in her lap, firmly wedged between Annie and her partner and choosing not to dwell on the smug satisfaction she felt every time the other bunny shot a glare in Nick's direction.

Three spectacularly awkward hours later, they decided to call it a night. As Judy shrugged her coat on, she noticed Nick lingering by the kitchen. "Are you coming, Nick?"

"No, I..." The fox scratched the back of his neck, not making eye contact with his partner. "I'm gonna help Annie clean up before I head home."

Judy peered past him, taking note of the three lonely pieces of popcorn lying on the otherwise clean carpet. "I think she can probably manage."

"Yeah, well... it's...umm...all part of being a courteous guest, right?"

She smirked at the idea. "Well, look at you. Since when are you so civilized?"

"I guess you've been a positive influence, Carrots."

"Well, I'm glad to have helped." Judy nodded, smiling. "In fact, I think I'll stay and help clean up, too."

Nick's smile faltered slightly as she threw her coat over the back of a chair. "You don't have to..."

"C'mon. Between the three of us, it should only take a few minutes. Then we can walk to the train together."

* * *

Over the next two weeks, Judy was surprised at how challenging it was to get back into the swing of things. She'd expected to pick up right where they'd left off, but Nick seemed somewhat disengaged. They didn't talk as much as they used to, and whenever they weren't actively doing something else he'd usually be tapping away on his phone. She was curious, but she knew how muck Nick valued his privacy. She knew he'd share when he was ready.

In a similar vein, Briar seemed to be actively avoiding her for the last couple of days. It seemed that whenever she walked into the bullpen, the other bunny was just walking out. Judy couldn't figure out what was wrong,

It was on just such an occasion, as Briar was making a hasty exit from the breakroom, that Judy decided to take the initiative and try to sort out what was going on.

"Hey, Annie! Hold up, I wanted to tal..."

"Oh my GOD Hopps, what the hell is your problem?!"

Judy skidded to a halt, eyes wide.

"I'm put in an absurd effort to be the mature one here. I've tried to be patient and haven't gotten angry, but you are treading on my last nerve."

"What?" Blinking in confusion, Judy's mind furiously tried to catch up with this unexpected turn of events. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your constant attempts to wedge yourself between Nick and I." The other bunny snapped. "I get that this isn't easy for you, but eventually you're gonna have to deal with the fact that he and I like each other!"

Judy's racing heart suddenly came to a jarring halt. "I..."

"Because whatever kind of torch you're carrying for him, I honestly don't care anymore." Briar continued, either unaware or unaffected by the stricken look on the other bunny's face. "If you ever had a chance, you missed it. So quit it with the passive-aggressive shit. This is not high school!"

"What? I don't...Nick and I aren't..."

"Stop. Just...stop." Annie heaved a angry sigh. "I don't wanna hear it. You're either lying to me or lying to yourself. Whichever one it is, I strongly suggest you cut it the hell out!"

With that, Briar stormed away leaving a thoroughly stunned bunny in her wake. Judy didn't know how long she stood frozen in place, her mind spinning as Annie's accusations echoed in her ears.

Eventually she broke out of her stupor and began walking toward the bullpen. Did she like Nick? The more she thought about it, the more it explained her recent behavior; the bouts of anxiety and uncharacteristic clinginess.

Without intending to, her feet led her right to Nick's desk. Finding the fox surrounded by overdue paperwork, she sat down quietly in the bunny-sized chair he always kept nearby and forced herself not to think about the way Briar's scent clung to it.

"Nick, do you have a second?" She tentatively asked, nervously tapping her claws on his desk's surface.

Her partner looked up from his paperwork, curious. "Sure Carrots. What's up?"

"So…" She began, drawing the word out. "You and Annie are dating, right?"

He clearly hadn't been expecting that. Despite herself, Judy couldn't help but smile at her partner's startled expression – the one she privately called his 'tax-evasion' face.

"I'm not an idiot, Nick. A little dumb sometimes, but not an idiot." Rather than wait for his response, Judy continued. "I'm not sure why you didn't want to tell me, but I guess you were afraid of upsetting me? Or losing me? Did you actually believe I'd just abandon our friendship?"

Her partner winced nervously.

"Cheese and crackers, Nick." She shook her head. "Do you really think so little of me?"

His ears pinned back as he glanced away. "Of course not, Carrots. I just...I dunno...didn't know how to bring it up."

"Maybe start with 'Annabelle and I are dating' and go from there?" She glared at him in irritation. "Which begs the question, exactly how long didyou keep this from me?"

"Um...a little over a month now, I guess."

After just two weeks of working together... Judy couldn't decide whether Nick's answer made her want to scream or cry. "So, I guess you really like her."

"Yeah." Nick nodded slowly. "Yeah, I really do."

The pair sat in silence as Judy gathered her courage for the next question.

"Do you..." Her voice faltered. "Do you like her m-more than you like me?"

"I…" His eyes widened in surprise, tail giving a slight twitch.

"Nick." She insisted. "Please."

"Come on, Carrots. That's not fair." He looked at her helplessly. "How do you expect me to answer a question like that?"

Looking into his eyes, Judy felt her heart crack. "I...I think you just did. I'm just going to…to…"

The bunny rose from her seat and rushed out of the bullpen, hurrying past Clawhauser on her way to the main doors. She'd almost made it when – of course – Briar seemed to appear out of nowhere. Judy barely managed to cut around her, continuing her path to the exit.

"Hey, Hopps! Hold up a second!" Annie ran to catch up. "Look, I really need to apologize for the things I said earlier; I was way out of line."

"It doesn't matter." Judy muttered, fighting not to cry.

Annie paused, finally noticing the other rabbit's distraught expression. "Hey, are you okay?"

"You got what you wanted, Briar." Judy answered, ashamed at the tremor in her voice. "Please, just leave me alone."

Annie reach out to place a paw on Judy's shoulder. "Hopps, I'm so sorry if I..."

"Fuck off, Briar!" Judy heard herself scream, though she couldn't remember intending to do so. "Just take your stupid jokes and smiles and stealing everything that matters to me and FUCK OFF!"

Her fist flew of its own accord, connecting with Annie's face hard enough to send the rabbit tumbling backward. She sat up slowly, looking dazed as she held a paw up to her mouth and awkwardly spat out a sizable piece of her left incisor.

Every officer in the lobby went silent as Judy, horrified at her own actions, turned and fled the precinct; she was barely outside before the tears began to fall.

* * *

Later that night, Judy was sitting on the roof of her apartment building, rolling her conversation with Nick over in her head and trying to sort out her own feelings. He'd been right when he accused her of being unfair. She'd put him on the spot without any warning and set him up to fail. There wasn't any way for him to answer her question without upsetting her, and that paled in comparison to the way she'd gone off at Annie.

She had punched another officer! What had she been thinking?!

"Ugh!" She dropped her head into her paws. "I'm such a fucking kit!"

* * *

The next day, Nick emerged from his apartment building to find a grey rabbit leaning against a lamp post. "Morning, Nick."

"Carrots." He greeted her, shortly.

"H-how's Annie?"

"She's fine." He narrowed his eyes. "Judy, what the hell...

"Wait!" She interrupted. "Just...just don't talk. Let me walk you to work; I'll talk, you listen."

Nick scrutinized her for a second before he turned to make his way down the sidewalk.

She took a deep breath, falling into step beside him. "So, I'd like to start by admitting that the way I behaved was completely unjustified, but only on the condition that you admit that you were a jerk for lying to me."

The fox opened his mouth to respond, but Judy cut him off. "A lie of omission is still a lie, Nick."

Sighing, he nodded in agreement.

"You should have been up front with me from the beginning," She continued. "But looking at how I reacted, I can see why you weren't. That wasn't really my finest moment, and I owe you an apology. I owe Annie one, too."

She stopped, turning to face him. "I'm sorry, Nick. I'm sorry that I backed you into a corner, and I'm sorry that I made you feel like you couldn't trust me. And most of all, I'm sorry for what I did to Annie. I'm a grown mammal, but the way I acted was stupidly immature. I can't go cry in the bathroom or throw a temper tantrum just because the boy I like is with someone else."

She turned back to find him wearing a vaguely uncomfortable expression.

"Yes, I like you." She gave him a weak smile. "Don't let it go to your head, slick."

Her smile faded as the attempted joke fell flat.

"Sorry. I...nevermind." They rounded a corner and the Precinct One building came into sight.

"Look, it might take me a little time to get over it, but I'm gonna do my best not to make things difficult for you or Annie." She reached out to take his paw in hers. "Until I do, please don't shut me out."

The fox peered their joined paws, tilting his head curiously. Coughing and awkwardly withdrawing her paw, she continued. "I know that nobody wants a third wheel around, but we're all adults and just because you've gotten yourself a girlfriend doesn't mean I have to lose my best friend."

She gestured to the Precinct building. "Now I'm gonna find Annie and ask her to forgive me. Are we...okay?"

"Yeah Judy, we're okay." He sighed. "But this kind of thing can't ever happen again."

"It won't." She looked down shamefully. "But...still partners?"

"Still partners."

"Okay. And Nick?" She paused at the door, looking back at him. "Thanks."

* * *

Cautiously, Judy peeked into the first-floor breakroom. As she'd expected, Briar was there waiting for her coffee to finish brewing.

Coughing to get the taller bunny's attention, she waved awkwardly. "Um, hi Annie."

"Hopps." Briar responded stiffly.

"How's the...er...tooth?"

"It'll grow back."

"Right, of course." She shuffled her feet a little. "Look, Annie... I think you and I need to talk."

"Really?" Annie leveled a glare on her. "I can't imagine why you'd think so."

"I deserve that." Judy leaned forward. "So..."

Annie tapped her foot slowly, saying nothing.

"So I, um... I think we can agree that you and I were both a little out of line yesterday."

Annie raised an eyebrow.

"Way out of line, in my case." Judy added, looking away. "My actions...what I did...it was completely inexcusable, but for what it's worth I absolutely apologize."

"Okay." Annie replied ambiguously.

"And since I'm almost certainly going to be suspended for hitting another officer, you and Nick will probably go back to patrolling together." She took a deep breath, trying not to get upset. "Just promise me you'll take care of him, because he can be really dumb sometimes. Don't let him wear those stupid aviators during roll call, and..."

"Hopps."

"...make sure swap out his regular coffee for decaf in the afternoon, or he'll be up all night playing video games and useless on patrol the next day...

"Hopps."

"...and don't let him leave the heater on in the cruiser during the winter, or his winter coat will never come in and he'll spend every shift complaining about the cold, and..."

"Judy!"

She halted in mid-sentence, blinking at the taller rabbit.

"You're not going to get in trouble."

"I'm not?"

Annie shook her head. "Nick told me about your conversation, and I think it's fair to say my little outburst already had you a little fired up. He convinced me not to report you."

"He did? B-but all those other officers..."

"I told them I asked for help with the procedures for dealing with an angry suspect, and that you took a swing at me with the expectation that I'd be able to block it." Annie chuckled. "I also told them that you were so upset about accidentally hurting me that you had to take the rest of the day off. They'll definitely make fun of you for that; consider it your penance."

Despite herself, Judy laughed softly. "That's fair."

"I hear you walked in to work with Nick this morning." Annie commented, pulling a pair of coffee mugs from a low cupboard and handing one to Judy.

"How did...?"

She shrugged. "Haven't you heard, Hopps? I have psychic powers."

"Nick texted you?"

"Nick texted me."

Judy smiled. "It was a good walk. I think we got stuff sorted out."

"That's good." Annie nodded. "You know it was killing him, not telling you?"

Judy gave her an incredulous look as Briar filled both of their mugs.

"Seriously, it was. You're his best friend, and the dumb fox managed to get himself all worked up about not hurting your feelings." Annie smirked. "It was actually kinda sweet."

The two of them finished preparing their coffee in silence.

"So...uh...are we good?" Judy ventured.

"Oh hell no, Hopps." Annie grinned. "I'll be seeing you in the parking lot after class."

Judy laughed as some of the tension melted away. "Suit yourself, Briar. Just don't go crying to Bogo after I whoop that fluffy tail of yours again."

* * *

Sweet Jebus, these chapters keep getting longer and longer!


	10. Sheriff - Pt I

_...true that there was some resistance to the proposal, but not as much as you'd think. If anything, the more traditional members of the Bunnyburrow Municipal Council voiced greater objections to whether your partner might properly represent their values._

 _However, we think you'll agree that there's every bit as much a need for law enforcement in the Tri-Burrows as in Zootopia, and that calls for a mammal with a solid track-record when it comes for inter-mammal relations. In the last year, you and your partner have repeatedly proven that predator and prey can not only work together; they can be friends! Coupled with your outstanding professional record, I feel that you're the ideal candidate._

 _Please consider the offer, Mr. Wilde. I'll expect to hear from you soon._

 _John Q. Thumper - Mayor  
Municipality of Bunnyburrow_

* * *

Nick had lost count of how many times he'd re-read the email over the last three weeks, going over it word by word and fact-checking the details. He'd even had someone from the ZPD's Computer Forensics unit take a look at it, though he'd sworn them to secrecy. All the evidence pointed toward it being a legitimate offer, for better or worse.

Which left him sitting alone in his apartment, idly tapping a claw on the table as he slowly came to terms with the idea that this _wasn't_ some elaborate practical joke as he. He leaned forward in his seat, taking a moment to review the latest draft of his response.

 ** _Mayor Thumper,_**

 ** _Thank you for your generous offer._**

 ** _Nicolas P Wilde  
Officer  
Patrol Division - Precinct One  
Zootopia Police Department_**

Though he could acknowledge that it needed a little work, he still had no idea what his answer was going to be.

He'd only been with the ZPD for a couple of years, almost half of that had been training, and the whole time he'd been constantly challenged to dispel the stereotypes surrounding his species. After all the effort he'd put into convincing everyone that he _wasn't_ just looking out for his own interests, he was a little concerned that accepting another job would look more than slightly opportunistic.

That wasn't even considering how Judy would react. Accepting the position without her wasn't even an option for him, but would she be willing to return to her hometown after everything she'd done to get out? And even if she _did_ come with him, how comfortable would she be having _him_ as a boss? Rising from his seat with a sigh, he tried to stretch the tension from his shoulders. Looking out the nearby window, he regarded the mediocre view as he tried to imagine how to broach the topic with her.

He wished he'd said something right away. The moment he received the offer he should have picked up the phone and called his bunny, but he hadn't. He'd decided to wait for the right moment, and instead they'd fallen victim to the single greatest example of an _asshole_ in the history of mammal-kind...Carl Morrigan.

Goddamn City Councilor Carl Morrigan.

Morrigan had been a major figure in the Zootopian political arena for years; before the Night Howler Crisis the hyena was largely viewed as Lionhart's heir apparent. Following Lionhart's arrest and the resulting political upheaval, however, Morrigan had seen his dream of becoming Mayor evaporate. As the city council's most prominent predator, he'd been lucky to even hold on to his seat.

Following that accursed press conference, Morrigan had held Judy personally responsible for the anti-predator fallout of the Night Howler Crisis. He certainly hadn't been the only mammal to feel that way, but Morrigan had the position and influence to act on his anger. He seized every opportunity to make life difficult for the ZPD's famous bunny - and by extension, her partner. If they made a procedural error and he noticed, there would be a memo on Bogo's desk within an hour. If either (or more likely, both) of them applied for a promotion, it was practically guaranteed that some untraceable administrative error would cause those applications to be lost. Their every mistake was called out, their every victory dismissed as luck.

For their part, they took it all in stride; not a difficult task for a pair accustomed to having the world stand against them. Soon enough, it reached the point that the hyena's unending criticism was casting more doubt on _him_ than on his intended targets, and with an election approaching there were rumors in the air that the antagonistic politician may soon be looking for another job.

Then the hyena and a few of his fellow councilors had walked into the wrong meeting room in the Precinct One building...and found the two of them making out like a pair of horny high schoolers.

Bogo's hooves had been tied; although ZPD regulations didn't expressly forbid relationships between partners, they did stipulate that both officers had to maintain their professionalism while on duty. Failure to do so meant a review of the situation by their commanding officer, and their quasi-fame ensured that any leniency would give the appearance of overt favoritism. Although their otherwise excellent performance (regardless of Morrigan's allegations) allowed the Chief to forgo any major disciplinary actions, he had no choice but to assign them to new partners. That had been two weeks ago.

Nick had spent those weeks riding with Delgato and, although he and the lion got along well enough they lacked the easy rapport he and Judy had shared. His (former) partner, on the other hand, had been assigned to administrative duty until a suitable partner could be found. Outwardly, she'd been nothing but positive about the whole affair; Nick knew her well enough to see that the lack of activity and endless paperwork was beginning to wear on her.

A faint scuffling at the front door shook the fox from his musings. He'd almost forgotten that Judy was supposed to make him dinner that evening, and the sound probably meant she'd just arrived.

Peering around the corner, he found her balancing an overly-large grocery bag in one arm as she awkwardly tried to get her jacket off. "Need some help?"

"No, I'm fine, really. You just stay right there and relax."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Fluff." He deadpanned, and she smiled affectionately as he lifted the grocery bag from her arms. Despite his stormy mood, he felt an ember of warmth glowing in his heart.

Following her into the kitchen, he placed the bag on the counter and stood back to watch his bunny at work. She threw a little oil in a frying pan, placed it on the stovetop, and began rifling through the grocery bag. Tossing a few pawfuls of vegetables into the pan, she leaned over to set it to a nice medium heat. "I think you're really going to like this stir-fry. It's a recipe my sister came up with, and it even has some tofu in there so I don't want to hear any complaining...from..." She trailed off when the fox didn't immediately start teasing her about dinner, glancing up to find him leaning against the doorframe and quietly gazing at her.

Sighing, she grabbed the hem of her boyfriend's shirt and all but dragged him to the couch. Planting herself beside him, she took a moment to drape his soft tail across her lap and looked up at him expectantly. "Okay, let's hear it."

"Hear what?"

"Whatever it is you've been very loudly _not_ saying for the last week and a half."

Looking away, he mumbled something even her ears couldn't quite make it out. "I didn't quite catch that, Slick."

"I said that you know perfectly well what's wrong." He grumbled, ears pinning back as he crossed his arms. "Patrolling without you sucks. All Delgato does is talk about football and point out attractive females."

Sighing, she reached up behind his ears and began scratching softly. As much as he teased her for being an emotional bunny, Judy had long-since learned that his feelings ran just as deeply as her own. Expressing them was a constant challenge for him, as was allowing himself be vulnerable in front of another mammal - even her. If over-exaggerated pouting was how he chose to express his feelings, she was willing to indulge him. "I know it's been hard not being partners, but we still have the rest of our time together."

"I _guess_." He muttered before flopping bonelessly across her lap and wriggling his muzzle under her paw. She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's melodramatics and began to gently stroke along the top of his head, running her short claws through the course fur on the back of his neck. She smiled as his eyelids fell shut and a rumbling purr began to radiate from his chest.

"I know it's not what we'd have chosen, but Bogo made it clear that the decision is final."

He let out a faint snort. "Even though it's stupid?"

"Even though it's stupid." She confirmed, leaning over to kiss him softly between the ears.

"But what if..." The fox shifted his head to look up at her. "What if _we_ were the ones in charge? What if we could just run things the way _we_ wanted to."

"Then we'd be back together in a heartbeat and there'd be a smoothie bar in the Precinct lobby, but there's no use dwelling on it. The Chief's orders are pretty much written in stone."

"Yeah..." Nick paused. "...at Precinct One."

She looked down at him, and the hopeful curiosity in those amethyst eyes made up his mind. Now it was time to put his cards on the table and see if they made for a winning hand. "There's this job opportunity...you could actually kind of call it a promotion...and I won't say I haven't been considering it."

"Don't tell me you applied for the open detective slot at Precinct Three? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well..." He rolled onto his back to face her. "Not so much applied for as been offered."

"What?! Nick, that's fantastic!"

"The thing is...detective isn't quite as accurate as...uh...Sheriff." He continued.

"What do you mean Sher..."

"...in Bunnyburrow." He finished.

Although he'd prepared himself for a slightly explosive reaction, his bunny didn't say a word - she didn't even move. She just sat there, leering down at him incredulously as if he'd just confessed to being Dawn Bellwether in an elaborate fox costume. As the clock on the wall counted off the passing seconds, Nick grew slightly concerned. He reached up to wave a paw slowly in front of her face. "Carrots? Are you still with me?"

He was just starting to move into genuine worry when Judy suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh sweet cheese and _crackers_ , Nick! You _almost_ had me!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Bunnyburrow Sheriff! You? That's a good one!"

As the bunny continued giggling, Nick fished his phone from his pocket. He pulled up the email from Mayor Thumper and silently placed it in his girlfriend's paw. As her eyes skimmed the text, reading the entire message several times over, her laughter gradually tapered off. Eventually she handed the phone back to him, shaking her head in astonishment.

"Chutes and ladders, Nick... I mean, I heard that Thumper was a reformer but this is..." She trailed off, looking down at him. "And you were considering it?"

He nodded.

"Without even talking to me about it?"

"We're talking about it now." He pointed out.

"Nick, that's not what I..." The bunny sighed. "I spent most of my life trying to get out of Bunnyburrow. What was your plan if I said I wouldn't go back?"

" _If_ you said? Does that mean you..."

"Nick." She gave him a slightly warning look.

"Carrots, I couldn't even _imagine_ taking the job unless you came with me." He assured her. "Besides, I'll...uh...be needing a deputy."

"Deputy?" She repeated. " _Your_ Deputy? As in, you'd be my boss?"

"Technically...yes." He nodded, a little nervously. "I mean, the job's yours if you want it."

" _Deputy_ Hopps." She drew the word out, testing the feel of it. Finally, she turned to him with a sly look. "How about _Head_ Deputy Hopps?"

He grinned at her mischievous tone. "Come with me and I'll make it _Senior_ Head Deputy."

" _Chief_ Senior Head Deputy, and I'll consider it." She countered, putting on a serious expression.

"Chief _Commander_ Head Deputy!" He sat up, nuzzling her neck playfully. "And you get your own office."

"Special Commander-In-Chief Deputy!" She laughed, batting at his cold nose as she tried to scurry away. "And I want my own _house_."

"Supreme Leader and President-For-Life Deputy Hopps!" He pounced, pinning her to the couch and leaning down to murmur in her ear. "And I'll build you a castle, if you let me live there with you."

"Deal." She whispered, sliding her paws up either side of his cheeks till she could scratch at the base of his ears with gentle claws. As the rumbling purr returned, he allowed her to rise just an inch or two from the couch before he captured her lips with his. She managed to get a paw free and had just started fumbling with his shirt buttons when Nick froze.

"Is something burning?" He muttered.

Judy let out a giggle. "Well, you've definitely got _my_ fire started."

The fox pulled out of her embrace and sat upright, casting curious glances around the room. "I'm serious. Do you smell smoke?"

With a frustrated sigh, she sat up and delicately sniffed the air. "Now that you mention it, I do kinda..." Her eyes widened as the realization struck her. "Oh no! Dinner!"

* * *

"Ugh..." Judy made a face as she scraped the charred remains of their meal from the scorched pan. "I'm going to take this down to the trash."

Nick made a vague sound of acknowledgement as the bunny hefted a garbage bag almost half her size over her shoulder, frowning slightly at the acrid scent of burnt cooking oil that hung in the air. Leaning against the fridge, he let his gaze follow her path out of the small kitchen to the apartment door. The moment it closed, he casually pulled his phone out and dialed a familiar number. The call connected almost immediately, and Nick didn't spare the mammal on the other end a chance to speak. "It's time. You know what to do."

He ended the call and quickly dialed another. His tail twitched impatiently until someone answered. "I don't have long, but do you remember the envelope I gave you a couple of months ago? The one marked _Do Not Open Until Instructed_?"

The other mammal answered in the affirmative.

"That's good. Open it now. Someone will be there within a half hour and I'm counting on you both."

Ending the second call, he began to put his phone away when it began ringing. Impatient, he answered without looking. "Hello?"

As he listened to the voice on the other end, his face set into a frown. "What are you...? I mean, it's _time_! We talked about this." He rolled his eyes. "Yes, we did. No, I can't be any more specific; she could hear me. Look, I'll give you a number to call and they can fill you in." He rattled off the digits and hung up, stuffing his phone away just as Judy came back in.

"Hey Carrots...I really don't feel like handling this mess right now and frankly, the smell is killing me." He grabbed his keys off the counter. "How about we go get something to eat at the diner up the road? I'll even treat you to one of those triple-thick carrot milkshakes you love. What do you say?"

"I say," She smiled, winking at him as she pulling her coat off its hook. "That you definitely know the way to this bunny's heart."

* * *

"...gonna need to buy you a pair of sunglasses. Big mirrored ones!"

"I am _not_ wearing big mirrored sunglasses."

"Ah ah ah! As the Sheriff; my word is literally the law!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not how it wor..." The bunny's sentence trailed off as they entered the apartment. "Why is it so cold in here?"

"I, uh...left the window open to let the place air out." Nick explained.

"Oh. Well, it's freezing so I think it's time to close it."

"No!" He deftly moved between her and the door to the living room, all the while waging an internal war with his own nerves. If foxes could sweat, he was certain he'd be soaked. It was already taking most of his willpower to keep his ears from pinning back. "I mean, you know how sensitive my nose is. Could it wait until we've finished cleaning?"

She huffed. "Fine, but let's get started. And you should keep in mind that cold bunnies _don't_ sleep over in cold apartments."

"Loud and clear, Carrots." He was ready. "I'll turn the heat up and you can start piling dishes in the sink."

Stepping into the living room to adjust the thermostat, he briefly glanced around the room. Okay...he could do this.

Returning to the kitchen, he very calmly moved to the sink and began scrubbing the blackened frying pan.

It was _time_.

"So, Carrots..." He began casually. "I guess we should probably get married."

* * *

End Part I


	11. Sheriff - Pt II

Judy didn't immediately react to her boyfriend's statement, her attention focused on drying a coffee mug that boldly declared 'The Fox Rocks!'. It wasn't until she'd placed it on the countertop and began reaching for a freshly-washed plate that his nonchalant suggestion actually registered and her posture snapped upright. Slowly - almost unnervingly so - both ears rotated in the fox's direction; her gaze followed just behind as she turned to stare at him in disbelief. "Was that...was that a _proposal_? Did you seriously just propose to me while _doing the dishes_?"

Nick was gripped by a momentary sense of terror, but the pin was out of the grenade now. "Seemed like as good a time as any." He nodded, stubbornly resisting the urge to look directly at her. As he picked at a charred piece of food still stuck to the pan, he could practically _feel_ her eyes boring into him. "What do you think?"

"Are you really...?" She sputtered. "How could you...?"

"Something the matter?"

"I...you..." Her fur bristled as the insides of her ears began to turn crimson.

"Use your words, Fluff." Nick glanced briefly into the next room, spotting a sand-colored blur as it leaped out the window and onto the fire escape – not a moment too soon as the bunny let out a frustrated yell and stormed out.

Following his irate girlfriend out of the kitchen with some bemusement, he was pleased to find the bunny right where he expected her to be; frozen in the center of the candle-lit living room, gazing in awe at the dozens of roses adorning every surface. "Oh Nick, they're beautiful!"

Double-checking that his phone was connected to the nearby BlueFang speakers, Nick placed it on the table and pressed play. A soft melody floated through the room as the fox dropped to one knee, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket just as Judy turned to face him. "How did yo-"

She gasped, eyes widening as her paws shot up to cover her twitching nose.

"I had so many ideas for what I'd say when this moment came - inside jokes, long sappy speeches, even an interpretive dance routine that you will _never_ see." He gave her a playfully stern look. "But in the end, it all comes down to one undeniable truth." He reached out, taking Judy's paw. "I love you and I can't imagine any kind of life without you. So if you think you can keep putting up with this dumb fox, I've got a pretty important question for you."

The bunny's eyes shone with tears as she took a tentative step forward, practically vibrating with happiness and anticipation.

"Judy..." He smiled, a little cheekily. "You feel like getting hitched?"

"Y-you dumb, dumb fox!" She laughed, throwing her arms around him. "Of _course_ I do!"

* * *

 _9:32 pm_

 **Toot-Toot** : so?

 **Nick:** :)

 **Toot-Toot** : damn

 **Toot-Toot** : hoped you'd come to your senses

 _9:33 pm_

 **Nick:** You really came through for me, buddy. I owe you.

 **Nick** : Thank Emmett for me, too. He really outdid himself.

 _9:35 pm_

 **Toot-Toot** : damn right you owe me

 **Toot-Toot** : those roses had thorns, wilde

 **Toot-Toot** : sharp ones

 _9:37 pm_

 **Nick:** Well if you're ever in Bunnyburrow...

 **Toot-Toot** : like that's ever gonna happen

 _9:38 pm_

 **Nick** : Fair enough. Take care of yourself, Finn.

 _9:40 pm_

 **Toot-Toot** : always do

 **Toot-Toot** : peace

 _9:57 pm_

 **Toot-Toot** : and congrats

 _10:03 pm_

 **Toot-Toot** : dumbass

* * *

"Mom...Dad...I have some big news for you."

On the other end of the video call, Judy's parents shared an apprehensive look. When it came to their daughter, those words we usually followed by gems like 'I've been accepted into the police academy' or 'I'm going to be godmother to a known mobster's granddaughter'.

"Oh." Her mother smiled, albeit a bit nervously. " _Good_ news?"

"I think so. I hope you will too." Judy smiled. "What if I told you guys that I've found the mammal of my dreams and we're moving back to Bunnyburrow to start our new lives together?"

There was a moment of thunderous silence, then Stu's eyes went impossibly wide and he began to wobble on his feet. Bonnie took him by the arm, giving their daughter an admonishing glare as she guided her stunned husband to a nearby chair. "Judy! Don't tease your father like that!"

"Not teasing." Judy grinned happily. She lifted her paw to reveal her glittering engagement ring and watched, with a fair amount of amusement, as her mother's expression shifted from irritation, to uncertainty, on to hopefulness before finally settling on a mixture of shock and elation.

"R-really?" The older bunny asked uncertainly. "Y-you're coming home?"

Judy nodded happily.

"That's wonderful! Oh, Stu! Our little girl is coming home!"

"Huh...?" The dazed buck responded. "Which one?"

"Judy! Judy's getting married and she's coming home!"

"...she is?" He blinked as the new information sunk in. "But why?!"

Her mother's smile faltered. "Stu..."

"What about - I can't believe I'm saying this – Judy, what about your job? You've dreamed about it your entire life." He lifted his paws defensively. "Not that I don't want you back home, but the last time you were here you weren't exactly a ray of sunshine."

Judy frowned slightly at the memory. "I know, but this is different. An unexpected opportunity came up, and it turns out there's a way for me to have my cake and eat it too."

"What's that supposed to..." A sudden crash off-screen interrupted her father's question. "Aw, cripes! Looks like the little ones got into the molasses! I'll be right back!"

As he bolted from the screen, Judy felt the familiar weight of Nick's muzzle come to rest on her shoulder. "Hi Bonnie!" He grinned and waved at the small screen.

"Hello, Nicholas." Bonnie responded politely. "Are you there to help Judy celebrate the good news?"

"Mm-hm." He nodded, grinning.

"I'm surprised to see you so chipper about it." She commented. "You're not upset that Judy is coming back to Bunnyburrow?"

"If she's happy, I'm happy."

"I'm very glad to hear that." The matronly rabbit smiled. "I suppose you'll have to break in a new partner, won't you?"

"Funny you should say tha..."

"Actually!" Judy cut in, giving the fox a warning look. "I think we should wait for dad to get back before we talk about this anymore."

"Are you pregnant?" Her mother suddenly asked. " _Is that why you're suddenly getting married?_ "

Judy blinked as the conversation took an unexpected sharp turn. "What? No!"

"Are you _sure_? You _are_ using protection, aren't you? You know you can talk to me about anything." She leaned in closely, peering at her daughter. "Does Nick need to leave the room for a moment?"

"No...I mean, yes...but no, I'm n..." Judy stammered as she struggled to follow her mother's rapid fire questions.

" _You're not?!"_ Bonnie screeched. " _I thought I taught you better than that!_ "

"Of course you did, but I don't need...that is, it's not really an issue..." Judy insisted. "But I can guarantee that I am absolutely, positively, one hundred percent _NOT_ pregnant."

She heard Nick stifling a laugh as her mother's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Judy, are you two..."

Judy felt her mouth go dry as a surge of panic gripped her. "I..."

"Have you been saving yourself for _marriage_? Sweetheart, that's so... _old-fashioned_."

That was all it took to shatter Nick's fragile self-control as the fox collapsed to the floor, clutching his stomach with his paws as he shook with laughter.

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to..." Bonnie eyed the hysterical vulpine. "You know I'm just concerned for you, and if you ever need to talk about...you know...family things..."

"I appreciate that, Mom, but..."

Her father's face suddenly filled the screen. " _You're pregnant_?!" He spun around to face his wife. " _Judy's pregnant_?!"

Nick, who had finally begun to calm down, once again howled with amusement.

"No, Dad." Judy sighed, gently kicking the cackling fox. "I'm _not_ pregnant."

"Dear sweet cheese and crackers, Bon! Judy's pregnant!" Stu cried, turning back to the screen. "Who said you were allowed to be pregnant?"

" _Please_ stop saying pregnant!" Judy groaned.

"Calm down, sweetheart." Bonnie told her husband, taking him by the shoulders and gently drawing him away from the small camera. "Judy says she isn't...in such a condition. We should take her at her word."

"Like hell we should!" Stu growled, leaning forward again in an attempt to glare at the exhausted fox. "What the _hell_ did you do to my daughter, Wilde?!"

"Oh, Stu!" Bonnie swatted him on the shoulder. "What could Nicholas _possibly_ have done?"

"That's what I want to know!"

"Nick didn't do anything, Dad!" Judy interrupted, wondering why she ever indulged her father's speciest nonsense. "Why would you immediately jump straight to blaming him? What has he _ever_ done to deserve your distrust?"

"Well to start with, he didn't even _try_ to reach out to us before asking our daughter to marry him!" Stu narrowed his eyes at the abruptly quiet fox. "And believe you me, Wilde – we're going to be having a long talk about that, _very soon_."

For the second time in one phone call, a stunned silence hung in the air.

"You knew Nick and I... that we're..."

Her father grimaced at her. "Oh for goodness sake Jude, we're not blind! Of course we did."

"H-hold on..." Bonnie stammered. "T-the two of them are...t-together? As in..."

Stu turned to stare at his wife. "I _told_ you they were, Bon! Repeatedly!"

"Yes, but I thought you were being...well..." Bonnie waved her paw at him vaguely as she searched for the right word. "...eccentric."

"Sweetheart, after 158 daughters I _think_ I can recognize when one of them is in love - whether it's with a bunny or not." He huffed indignantly before turning back to his daughter. "Are you two using protection?!"

"OhmigodNO!" Judy cried. "I love you guys talk to you later BYE!" She abruptly ended the call, gasping for breath as she stared at the suddenly darkened screen. It was barely a second before it lit up again. Shaking her head at the picture of her smiling parents, she rejected the incoming call and turned her phone off, tossing it onto the table and dropping her head into her paws. After a moment, she felt Nick's muzzle return to her shoulder as he drew her into his arms.

"You okay, Fluff?" He muttered, giving her a gentle nuzzle.

"No thanks to _you_ , chuckles." She grumbled, even as she snuggled into his embrace.

"Sorry." He paused. "But you have to admit, it still went better than we expected."

* * *

To their dismay, the call to Judy's parents wasn't even the toughest part of their week. The days that followed were practically consumed by the exhausting process of packing up their lives, deciding what they'd need right away and what could be shipped.

Although Judy rented her tiny apartment on a month-to-month basis, Nick wasn't in so convenient a situation - the fox was only four months into a one-year lease. His landlord hadn't been particularly pleased about having the lease broken, and made his displeasure clear when Nick came back to find his belongings piled on the curb. If the fox had felt any hesitation about leaving Zootopia up to that point, he certainly didn't anymore.

But even that paled in comparison to the one thing they'd been dreading most; officially resigning from the ZPD.

Although they'd briefly flirted with the idea of submitting their resignations in writing, Judy's conscience wouldn't permit her to take what she viewed as a coward's way out. It was that mindset that had her standing in Chief Bogo's office, her gaze focused on the floor tile between the cape buffalo's hooves. She'd explained the situation regarding Nick's new job and their recent engagement, formally stated that she was resigning from the Zootopia police department, and was holding on to the faintest of hope that the Chief might actually congratulate them.

"Hopps, do you recall the day of Bellwether's arrest, when you stood in this office and begged me – begged me – to not only allow you to return to the ZPD, but to accept the application of a fox with an unquestionably dubious past?"

"Yes, sir." She answered quietly.

"Did you know how much resistance there was from the city council? How many mammals, Councilor Morrigan notwithstanding, didn't want to see you back in uniform? Who were understandably hesitant to reinstate an officer who managed to start a race war with a single botched press conference? I can certainly say that both requests flew right in the face of my better judgement, but I chose to take a leap of faith. And in the last two years, neither of you had given me cause to regret that decision."

"Thank you, s– "

"SHUT IT!" He bellowed, crushing her response. He took a breath, pausing a moment before continuing. "Whatever your reasons are or wherever it is you're going could not possibly matter less. What I care about is simple; after all that has been done to help you realize your dream – both by the Mammal Inclusion Initiative and by the ZPD – you are still thinking only of yourself."

"Now, I will make this very simple." Bogo stepped back from her and casually returned to his seat, peering at the bunny over his desk. "When I dismiss you, you will leave my office. If you are at the morning briefing in fifteen minutes, I will forget this conversation ever happened."

Judy opened her mouth to respond, but the buffalo's deep timbre easily overpowered her. "If you are not present for the briefing, I expect to find your badge on my desk when I return. And let me be absolutely clear; if you leave your badge on this desk, you will never get it back. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir." She replied, her voice tight.

"Tell Wilde not to waste my time by coming in here – the same choice applies to you both." Bogo finished. "Dismissed."

Judy offered a sharp salute, holding it until it became clear that it wasn't going to be returned. Slowly lowering her arm, she turned and shuffled out of the room, closing the door behind her.

An hour later, Bogo wasn't surprised to find a pair of ZPD badges sitting on his desk, both polished to a high shine and one laid almost protectively over the other.

* * *

Gazing out the passenger car's windows, Judy idly examined the few mammals still making their way through Zootopia's massive Central Terminal. It wasn't difficult for her to remember the first time she'd seen it, gleaming in the sunlight, welcoming her to her new home. It was quieter now, the hustle and bustle of rush hour had long since faded as she and her fiancée (she still couldn't hide the smile that word brought to her face) prepared to take the evening commuter train out of town.

It would have been nice to have taken the express train. Rather than going straight to their destination, the longer route would carry them through Podunk, Acrewood, Long Dam River and Acorn Hill first. In all likelihood, they wouldn't reach Bunnyburrow until well past midnight.

Beside her, Nick yawned audibly. She gave him an encouraging nudge, seeing through his practiced expression of boredom to the anxiousness that lay beneath. It was a nervousness she knew all too well – the feeling of leaving your home behind you and going on an adventure. He sighed wistfully as the train began to move away from the platform and she felt his larger paw wrap around her own.

"You nervous?" He asked, giving her paw a gentle squeeze.

"Sort of. It's tough to describe" She shrugged. "How about you?"

"Scared out of my wits." He replied, in contrast to his seemingly bored demeanor. "You know I've never actually left the city before?"

She blinked owlishly. "Seriously?"

"Never really had a reason to." He confirmed. "But I've got no reason to stay, either. Home is wherever you are, even if that's out in the savage wastelands."

"It's not so bad out there, Slick." Snuggling up against his side, she gave him a comforting pat on the leg. "I'll keep you safe."

-o—o—o—o—o—o—o-

End Part II


	12. Sheriff - Pt III

[Continued from Ch.11]

* * *

Their train from the city took even longer than Judy had anticipated, and they hadn't pulled into the station until just after three o'clock in the morning.

As soon as they entered the range of Bunnyburrow's limited cell reception, Judy received a text from whichever sibling had been sent to pick them up; they'd given up around two am and gone home. By the time the pair made the long walk to the Hopps Farm from the train station, it was all they could do to find the nearest spare bedroom and collapse in an exhausted heap.

It was nearly eleven by the time Nick sleepily followed Judy into the kitchen, his half-asleep brain only just grasping the fact that they weren't alone. Truth be told, it was only the burrow's cool draft that ensured he hadn't walked to the kitchen naked.

"Oh! Good morning, sweetheart." Bonnie smiled a little awkwardly as the pair took a seat at the kitchen table. "I hope you two slept well."

"Good morning, Mom."

"Morning, Bonnie."

"You two certainly got in late."

Judy let out an impolite snort. "Only because Owen abandoned us."

"He _what_?"

"Train got in at three." Nick yawned loudly. "He decided to go home at two."

"Why that little...! Owen Nathaniel Zachary Hopps, you get out here _right this instant_!"

As Bonnie stormed out of the kitchen, eyes ablaze and wooden spoon in hand, Nick pulled a mug from the shelf and glanced around. "Hey Carrots, where's the coffee maker around here?"

"Don't have one." Judy commented, idly flipping through that day's Bunnyburrow Bugle.

"What? Why not?!"

"Can you imagine three hundred bunnies on a caffeine rush?"

"Yikes." The fox winced, picturing the inevitable chaos. "Good point."

"I think there's some tea in that cupboard there. It's all herbal, though."

"It'll have to do." He started rooting through the cupboards. "We're supposed to meet the Mayor and the retiring Sheriff at noon, but we can head into town earlier if you like. Maybe you could show me the sights?"

"Actually..." An unexpected, deeper voice answered. "I believe you and I need to have a word."

Cautiously peering over the cupboard door, the suddenly anxious fox discovered his future father-in-law clapping the dust from his paws. "Whenever you're ready, Nicholas."

"R-right, of course." Nick mumbled, rising to his feet and moving to join Stu at the kitchen table.

"No." Stu's sharp exclamation brought him up short. "Come with me."

Nervously following the older rabbit out of the house, Nick felt his stomach do a little flip when he realized that he was being led to the massive red barn that dominated the horizon. He took a quick glance over his shoulder and saw Judy giving him an encouraging thumbs-up from the porch. Even so, a part of him still felt as though he was being marched to his own execution.

The air inside the barn was hot and dusty; the smell of old straw made his nose itch. Although the interior was dimly lit, his eyes were more than sharp enough to make out the terrifying array of razor sharp tools that hung along the wall. Their path took them the length of the building and up two separate ladders, finally ending in an isolated corner of the hay loft; the only available light came from a single dusty window.

"Have a seat, Nicholas." Stu told him. Nick did as he was told, settling himself on a bale of hay.

The bunny pushed aside a rusty wheelbarrow to reveal a small refrigerator. As he rummaged about inside, Stu gestured toward some old shelves. "Could you fire up that tape player there? The one on the shelf."

Nick did so, and across the barn a hidden speaker began blaring. _"-ell you another thing! No daughter of mine is going to be involved in these kinds of shenanigans! She may be all grown up, but she's still my little kitten! If you think you can..._ "

"What the...?" Nick's bewilderment at the ongoing recording was compounded when Stu took a seat across from the fox and handed him a cold bottle of beer. "Uh...thanks?"

"With a family as large as mine, a buck needs a little alone time every now and again." Stu explained cryptically, reaching out to tap his bottle against the fox's.

"That makes sense." Nick responded neutrally. He took a sip of his beer and let out a faint sound of amusement. "It's...uh...hoppy."

"Home brewed. A lot of trial and error went into it, but I'd say the final result was worthwhile."

The fox nodded, awkwardly tapping a claw against the glass bottle. "So..."

"So." Judy's father repeated. "I'm not an angry bunny, Nick. Even if I were, I've raised more than enough daughters to know that the 'overprotective father' bit doesn't work worth a gosh-darn. And Judy especially will go her own way with or without my approval, just like she always has."

"Sounds about right." Nick muttered. "She doesn't listen to a damn thing I say, either."

"You'll get used to it." Stu chuckled. "In any case, she's a grown doe. I don't have the right to dictate how she lives her life or who she chooses to spend it with. I'd be a damn fool not to see how much the two of you love each other, and if you make her happy then who am I to stand in the way?" He leaned forward, placing his beer atop an overturned bucket and giving the fox a stern look. "But just so we're clear, while I may not be as young as I used to be, if you hurt my little kitten I'll still do my level best to give you the whooping you deserve."

"I thought you weren't an angry bunny." Nick risked a smile.

"There's a first time for everything, buster."

"To be honest Stu, I think that if I hurt Judy you'd have to get in line."

"You're probably right." The rabbit nodded. "However, there is one thing you and I need to discuss. Regardless of the circumstances or how long you two have been together, I wasn't particularly impressed that you didn't reach out to Bonnie and I before proposing to our daughter – even if only as a courtesy."

"I didn't think..."

"No. You didn't." Stu interrupted. "Those kinds of traditions might not mean much to your generation, but they're not dead yet. You need to understand that marrying my daughter means becoming part of this family, and in the Hopps family we show each other respect."

The fox looked away uncomfortably. "I'm...very sorry, Mr. Hopps."

Stu paused, letting the words sink in. "I know you didn't mean any disrespect, Nick, and I'm certainly not going to hold this one against you. But try to show a little more consideration in the future?"

"Of course."

"Glad to hear it. And for goodness sake call me Stu." The rabbit rose from his seat, groaning as he stretched. "Anyway, I think that's about long enough. Shall we head on back inside?"

"That's it?"

"That's it." Stu confirmed, turning off the tape player.

"That wasn't so bad."

"What did you expect? Forty lashes?"

"I guess not, but..." Nick shrugged. "Judy _did_ have a few stories."

"I'm sure she did. I'm told I have quite the fearsome reputation." Stu chuckled, gesturing to the tape player. "Don't worry, though. I'm fairly harmless. All just smoke and mirrors."

"So why the big production?"

"I love my family, Nick. But just because I'm a pushover doesn't mean they need to _know_ I'm a pushover." Stu chuckled, leading Nick back to the barn door. He paused just before they could step out into the sunshine. "Oh, one last thing. If you could act like you just took a good verbal thrashing, I'd really appreciate it."

"I think I can manage that." Nick took a deep breath, pinning his ears back and wrapping his tail protectively around his legs. Looking like the very picture of a thoroughly chastised fox, he glumly followed Stu out of the barn.

* * *

"Your dad is mean." Nick grumbled, barely audible over the rumble of the borrowed farm truck.

"Oh, my poor fox." Judy cooed. "Did the big, bad bunny scare you?"

He took his eyes off the road just long enough to scowl at her. "Your sympathy is overwhelming."

"Oh hush. He's just a bit...overprotective...sometimes." She began to stroke his tail comfortingly. "It's all talk, I promise."

"No, he's the devil in a trucker's hat." Nick whined melodramatically. "How could you subject me to that? I could've _died_! Do you even love me at all?"

"You know I do, you big baby." She laughed, gesturing to the turnoff that would take them into town. "Just as much as you love me."

"With all my heart and soul, Carrots." He peered at her over the rim of his mirrored aviators. "But don't think that this won't come up for your annual performance evaluation. I write that, you know."

"Oh?" She lowered her own sunglasses and matched his playfully stern glare. "And to _whom_ do you submit this evaluation?"

"Oh, it goes right on the Sheriff's desk." The fox nodded gravely. "And I imagine he won't take kindly to that kind of nonsense."

"Aw, I bet he's a big softie."

"Uh-uh. See, that's the kind of attitude that can get a bunny busted back down to Special Commander-In-Chief Deputy."

"I'd like to see you tr...wait! There it is!" Judy practically exploded from her seat, grinning as she gestured excitedly at a single-story brick building. "That's it right there!"

"Okay, okay. I see it." Despite himself, Nick couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. As they pulled up, two older mammals came out to meet them; a badger and a rabbit. Each had his fair share of white fur peppering their otherwise dark coats, but both smiled welcomingly as Nick and Judy climbed out of the truck.

"Mr. Wilde." The rabbit greeted them enthusiastically, bounding forward to vigorously shake the fox's paw. "I'm so pleased to meet you in person! I can't tell you how glad I am you accepted our offer."

"It's a pleasure to be here." The fox replied smoothly, hiding his surprise at the Mayor's strong grip. "Mayor Thumper, I presume?"

"That's me. And this is..."

"Sheriff Tobin!" Judy yelled, cutting off the Mayor's introduction as she wrapped the amused badger in a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Judy." The badger laughed. "We've sure missed having you around."

"You'll have a heck of an act to follow, Mr. Wilde." Thumper commented. "Myles Tobin has been our Sheriff for...gosh, must be almost twenty years now."

"Oh please, I wasn't some superhero." The old badger scoffed. "I've no doubt that Mr. Wilde..."

"Nick, please." The fox interjected.

"That _Nick_ is going to do just fine." He turned to scrutinize the fox. "Tell me, Nick; what do you think the secret is to law enforcement in the Tri-Burrows?"

"Be firm, be fair, and don't be a jerk. Figure out the rest as I go along."

"That's a damn fine answer, son. Like I said, you'll do just fine." Tobin laughed, clapping Nick firmly on the shoulder. "C'mon in, take a look around. Your uniforms just got delivered, so feel free to grab a cup of coffee while I go find them."

"Now you're speaking my language." Nick grinned, following the Sheriff inside. "I take it that Carrots spent a lot of time here?"

"Yup. Judy was a regular fixture in this office. Why, she spent so much time here growing up, she was practically part of the staff."

"Why am I not surprised?" Nick laughed. "I can just see her strutting around with that little police hat on!"

"I only wore the hat once!" Judy insisted, not noticing Sheriff Tobin mouth the words _every single time._ "I was just enthusiastic."

"Here you go. Too late to back out now." Tobin handed each of them a brown-paper parcel. "I imagine you know most of the ins and outs of the job, but my official retirement date isn't until Friday so I'll be around a few more days to show you the ropes."

"I appreciate that. And I'm sure Judy can cover anything you might miss."

"I wasn't here _that_ often!"

"Oh, don't be shy now." The Sheriff chuckled, turning back to Nick. "Judy had quite the law enforcement career here in Bunnyburrow. When she was still a kitten, we had to give her little jobs around the office just to keep her from trying to go out on patrol by herself."

"I don't think we need to..." Judy began, only to be interrupted by a cackling fox.

"She did that?!"

"Just the one time, but it served us right for not watching her. We didn't even know she was gone until-"

"Really, we've got a lot to do today. We should go." Judy tried again.

"-we look up, and there's Ivor Kowalzyki holding up a squirming little bunny and doing his very best not to break down laughing."

"Nick, we _really_ need to get going!" Judy insisted. "You two can talk about this later...or possibly never."

"Oh shush, Judy." Sheriff Tobin laughed, waving his paw at the blushing bunny. "Everyone loves this story."

"Yeah, Carrots." Nick agreed. "Everyone loves it. What happened next?"

"It seems the old steer had gone into the co-op and left that rusty old farm truck of his parked in a disabled mammal space. Well, you'd better believe that when he came back out, there was Judy standing next to it looking all kinds of annoyed. He didn't even get the chance to say hello before she whipped out that little pink notebook of hers and wrote him a ticket!"

"No!" Nick gasped in disbelief.

"No!" Judy cried in despair.

"Yes!" Tobin laughed. "So - still holding up this furious little bunny - he says to me 'Careful Sheriff, I think young Miss Hopps is planning to take the law into her own paws.' And do you know what Judy did then?"

" _Please_ tell me what she did then!" Nick asked, grinning at his mortified fiancée.

"She starts thrashing something fierce and yells 'That's Junior Assistant Deputy Hopps to you, buster!'"

"I'll be outside!" Judy yelled over the sound of Nick's laughter, stomping out of the office.

"I think I might've gotten you in some trouble there." Tobin commented.

"Totally worth it." Nick wiped the tears from his eyes. "I should probably head out, though."

"Alright then. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning. And before I forget..." He handed Nick a polished gold star with _SHERIFF_ inscribed on it. "You'll probably be needing that."

The fox grinned, holding the badge up to the light. "Thanks, Sheriff Tobin."

"No problem. Now get going before I give your future missus any more reason to tan my hide."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll find a way to make it up to her..."

* * *

 _That evening..._

"Do I look okay?"

"Mmm..." Judy purred, leering shamelessly at her fox in his new tan-colored uniform, her eyes naturally drawn to the shining star pinned to his chest. "You look more than okay, Sheriff..."

"Yeah?" Nick hooked a thumb in his belt. "Howdy, Miss Hopps. How're you this fine day?"

"Oh, much better," She answered playfully. "...now that you're here, Sheriff."

She slowly stepped backward as he sauntered toward her, one pace at a time. "You been staying out of trouble?"

She bit her lip coyly, shaking her head. "Oh no...I've been a very bad bunny."

"Well then," He closed the distance between them as Judy suddenly felt her back pressed firmly to the wall. "I think I'll have to take you in for questioning."

"What if I'm concealing something dangerous." She warned him, running her paw over his chest.

"Oh, don't you fret. I plan on searching you carefully."

Rising up on her toes, she pressed her nose into the fur of his neck. Nuzzling up to his ear, she whispered softly. "Make sure you're _very_ thorough..."

"OH SWEET CHEESE AND CRACKERS!" The unexpected shout through the door shocked them from their fantasy. "YOU _KNOW_ WE CAN ALL HEAR YOU, RIGHT?!"

Judy threw her paws over her mouth as her ears broke out in a glowing blush. Grinning at his fiancée, Nick turned toward the disembodied voice. "Oh _really_?! We didn't realize you were all listening so closely!"

"WE WEREN'T...I MEAN...SHUT UP!"

Trying not to laugh, he continued. "We can crack the door if you're that curious!"

"N-NO!"

"Nick!" Judy cried indignantly. He turned back to see the beautiful gray rabbit wink at him. "There's no need for that! We'll be loud enough that they won't _need_ the door open."

A collective gasp emanated from the hallway. "NO! WE WERE JUST...UM...GOOD NIGHT!"

The thundering sound of several dozen fleeing rabbits filled their ears, slowly petering off into silence.

"Oh, to have seen the looks on their faces!" Nick cackled. "Clearly you have some experience at messing with your siblings."

"Who says I was messing with them?" She fired back, grabbing Nick's tie and pulling him into a searing kiss. Tugging the happily dazed fox across the room, she gently shoved him onto the bed with a coquettish smile. "If I recall, Sheriff, you have a very naughty bunny to frisk..."

* * *

 _Several months later..._

"Morning, Sheriff."

When Nick first arrived in town, most bunnies wouldn't venture within fifteen feet of him. Some had gone so far as to scurry across the street when he came around the corner.

"Good morning, Sheriff!"

It felt like he overheard more speciest remarks in the first two weeks than in an entire year back in the city.

"Lovely day, ain't it Sheriff?"

Six months later, it was as if the mammals of Bunnyburrow had known Nick for their whole lives.

"Well boy howdy, Sheriff! How are ya this mornin'?"

He smiled at the boisterous greeting that, from any other mammal, might've seemed hokey...even disrespectful. But Nick knew that coming from the only other fox in the area, it was the very definition of genuine. "Can't complain, Gideon. How about yourself?"

"Oh, I've been busier than a one-armed juggler!" The local baker laughed. "Those fancy Zootopia restaurants have been placin' orders like crazy. Would you believe that mammals in the city are willin' to pay _more_ money for _smaller_ portions?"

"I can only imagine." Nick replied offhandedly as the eleven-fifteen train from Zootopia pulled into the Bunnyburrow station.

"Well, I tell ya it's been a real blessin'." Gideon rocked back on his heels. "I've had to hire three more assistants, and I may even be openin' another bakery in the city."

"No kidding? That's great to hear."

"Mm-hm. Which reminds me..." The other fox leaned in, whispering. "I appreciate you turnin' a blind eye to my little side operation. I've left the payment in the usual place."

"Gid, your _side operation_ is selling gourmet fruit preserves to organic grocery stores." Nick laughed. "And I _turn a blind eye_ because you registered to expand your business with the Tri-Burrows Chamber of Commerce."

"Aw, Sheriff. Can't you just let me have my fun?"

"Okay, okay." Nick shot an exaggerated glance over his shoulder, then leaned in to whisper back. "Not a problem, Mr. Gray. I don't believe my Deputies will have any reason to bother you this month."

"Except if they're coming to the fair next weekend." Gideon clarified. "I'll have my usual booth set up."

"Except for then." Nick agreed. "Seriously, though...the blueberry muffins?"

"On your desk."

"I knew I could count on...you..." Nick trailed off as he spotted a familiar mammal stepping off the train. "Excuse me, Gid. Something's just come up."

Before Gideon could respond, the smaller fox had already sprinted away.

Judy was flipping through the overnight log book – trying very hard not to get distracted by the new gold ring on her left paw - when her husband came tearing into the station like his tail was on fire. She didn't even have a chance to ask what was going on before he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her to eye level. "What the...? You put me down _right now_!"

"No time!" He barked. "This is important and we don't have a moment to waste."

Puzzled, the bunny stopped squirming. "Nick, what's going on?"

"Carrots, do I look like the Sheriff?!"

"You _are_ the Sheriff." She responded slowly.

He gave her an exasperated look. "Yes, but do I _look_ like the Sheriff?"

"Nick, what are you...?"

"Nevermind." He spun around and pointed her at the nearby window. "Look."

"Wait, is that...?" Judy blinked. "Is that Councilor Morrigan?"

"It is indeed! He just got off the eleven-fifteen train."

"Why is he...?"

He placed her back on the ground and smoothed her ruffled uniform. "I don't know and I definitely don't care, but this is too good of an opportunity to pass up."

"Nick..."

"Be cool, Carrots." Nick took a deep breath. "We're just gonna screw with him a bit. It'll be just like I practiced."

His partner cocked an eyebrow at him. "Wait, you practiced for this?"

He nodded, "In the shower."

"You practiced for this _in the shower_?"

"What?" He responded, a little defensively. "I get bored when you're not in there."

"You get..."

"Come _on_!" He grabbed her paw, dragging her out of the station. "Straight face, sunglasses on. This is gonna be hilarious."

He'd expected Morrigan to look surprised when he saw them - maybe even a little smug. What he didn't expect was for the hyena to freeze in mid-step as soon as spotted them approaching, his eyes darting around apprehensively.

"Oh! Erm...good morning, offic..." He began.

"License and registration, please." Nick interrupted.

Morrigan seemed unsure how to respond. "I...uh...took the train."

" _License_ and _registration_." The fox repeated, a little more sharply.

Bewildered, Morrigan fished his driver's license from his pocket.

Judy snatched it from his paw and scrutinized it carefully. "Do you know how fast you were going, sir?"

"Do I know how... _what_?"

"How fast you were going." She repeated.

"I was..." He glanced around uncertainly. "I was walking?

"Is that a question?"

"No."

"So, you _do_ know how fast you were going."

"I-is there a speed limit for walking here?"

"No." Nick responded evenly. "Though apparently, you never bothered to check before visiting."

Morrigan began to fidget uncomfortably, glancing between the two officers. "Am I... have I done something wrong, officers?"

"Well, that's the question of the day. _Have_ you done something?"

"I...I don't..."

"Sheriff." Judy interrupted the stammering hyena. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Hold that thought, Morrigan." He took a few steps back, but didn't take his eyes off the larger predator. "What's up, Carrots?"

Judy leaned in, speaking softly. "Am I crazy, or does he seem a little twitchy to you?"

"I guess."

"I'm serious. You remember how confident he acted back in the city?"

"I think a better description would be arrogant motherfu-"

"My _point_ is" She cut him off, "He _hated_ us back in Zootopia. He came after us _constantly._ So why do we suddenly make him so nervous?"

"Hm...fair question." He passed her Morrigan's license. "Have Bessie run this through the system, see if anything comes up."

As the fox turned his attention back to the hyena, Judy stepped off to the side and began quietly relaying the pertinent details to their civilian dispatcher. She only had to wait a few moments before the young heifer responded with some particularly interesting information. With no small amount of personal satisfaction, she ambled over to share it with Nick. "Want to know what Bessie found, Sheriff Wilde?"

"What did Bessie find, Deputy Wilde?"

"It _seems_..." She drew the word out, smiling sweetly at the anxious hyena. "That _former_ City Councilor Morrigan has an arrest warrant out in his name...for _grand larceny_."

"Oh _really_?" Nick grinned. "Looks like today isn't your lucky day, Morrigan. Turn around, drop to your knees and place your paws on the back of your head."

Now looking genuinely frightened, the hyena took a step back and glanced over his shoulder. Nick kept his eyes on the larger mammal; he didn't have to look back to know his wife was already primed for a chase.

"C'mon now, Morrigan. You've seen her in action." He edged forward, slowly pulling the paw-cuffs from his belt. "I mean, if you think you can outrun her, by all means give it a shot."

The hyena stood frozen for another breath, then his shoulders sagged as the weight of his situation seemed to crash down upon him. He did as he'd been instructed with a soft whimper, but remained silent as Judy read him his rights. He only flinched a little when the cuffs closed around his wrists.

"G'morning, Bogo." Nick drawled, putting his feet up on the desk. "And how are you today?"

"Wilde." Bogo answered shortly. "What do you want?"

"You really should make more time for pleasantries, but since you ask...hold on a second." He glanced outside to see a growing crowd of curious bunnies, many of them trying to get a peek at the individual slouched in their only holding cell. Considering it (like most of Bunnyburrow) had been designed with much smaller mammals in mind, the hyena wasn't finding it particularly comfortable. "Carrots, would you mind dealing with our guest's new fan club?"

The amused bunny headed outside as Nick turned his attention back to the phone. "Sorry about that. Where were we?"

The buffalo gave a nearly inaudible sigh. "You were about to explain why I'm talking to you, when I could be getting some real work done."

"Ah, yes." Nick leaned back in his seat, grinning. "It just so happens that we found someone you lost."

"Get on with it, Wilde. I've no patience for games."

Nick took a moment to pick at a bit of lint on his trousers, letting the buffalo stew in his own impatience for a moment. "I just thought you'd want to know that we've arrested a certain _former_ city councilor you may know. Specifically, one who got caught skimming funds from several city works projects."

"Hold on. Are you telling me that you've got Carl Morrigan in custody?"

"The one and only."

"That's good news, Wilde." The Chief sounded vaguely impressed. "I'll send some officers out this afternoon so you can hand him over to ZPD cust..."

"Actually, that won't be happening." Nick interrupted. "Because unless I'm mistaken, the Councilor was arrested about 200 miles outside your jurisdiction. That makes it a federal case, so we'll be handing his mangy hindparts over to the ZBI."

The near-silence on the line was broken only by the unmistakable sound of Bogo's grinding teeth.

"That being said," Nick continued. "We'll be informing the ZBI that Morrigan was apprehended with the aid of the ZPD. After all, you did make sure Deputy Wilde and I were on the lookout for a possible fugitive. Thanks for the heads up, by the way."

"What are you..." The Chief paused. "Ah, yes. Think nothing of it, Wilde. Professional courtesy."

"Professional courtesy." Nick echoed, glancing at the small clock on his desk. "I'd best be going, though. Bunnies to wrangle and prisoner transfers to arrange. You understand."

"Of course. And..." The buffalo cleared his throat. "Congratulations to yourself and the _Deputy_."

"Thanks, I'll tell her you said so. Take care of yourself, Chief Bogo."

"You as well...Sheriff Wilde."

* * *

Inspired in part by a piece of artwork from lleu-momiji on deviantart.

 _Sheriff_ really took on a life of its own, but its length won't be typical for the rest of Forty Glimpses. Unless it is...who the hell knows anymore?


	13. Team

This chapter evolved very strangely & ended up a long way from where I'd originally imagined.

* * *

Whenever he wanted to be alone, he would always return to the same run-down industrial park and sit underneath the bridge. She never commented how easy it was to find him there, and he never asked how, once he was ready to face the world again, she'd always be waiting at the gates to pick him up.

* * *

He didn't know what company actually owned the warehouse, but they'd certainly never bothered to develop it. In all likelihood it had been acquired as a tax write-off. He liked it there because it was quiet, and because the complete lack of phone reception offered a temporary reprieve from the world.

Over the years, there'd been a hundred different reasons for him to sit under that bridge. A long day, a hustle gone south, a rough case, or just the need for a little solitude.

That was one of the biggest attractions for the mammal that 'knew everybody' – sweet solitude. The only other mammal for a mile in any direction was Stanislaw, the security guard that lazily patrolled the lot in the afternoons, and the two of them had managed to reach an understanding a long time ago. Stanislaw didn't eject Nick from the property, and in return Nick never brought his business _or_ his friends with him when he visited. The arrangement worked out perfectly, and he was particularly impressed with the old boar's skillful negotiation - particularly in light of the fact that Stanislaw didn't seem to speak a single word of Mammalian.

In the days following the _press conference_ and his falling out with Judy, the bridge had been his only sanctuary from the growing unrest that seemed poised to overtake the entire city. Hustling had become a dangerous business, even for a mammal as skilled as he was. More than once the fox would find himself pacing back and forth beneath it, kicking up dust as he ranted at nobody - that was the state he was in when the old boar happened upon him.

"Dammit! I've been glared at with distrust my whole life, but these days..."

Perhaps sensing that the younger mammal needed someone to listen, Stanislaw eased himself down to sit on a fair-sized rock, wincing as his old joints popped. Startled, Nick cut off his diatribe mid-sentence and spun to greet his new visitor.

"Oh...heya, Stan." He winced. "You're...not here to kick me out, are you? I know things have been tense lately, but I figured that our deal was still good..." He let the sentence trail off, waiting for the other mammal's response. When the old boar made no move to stand, let alone roust Nick from the property, the fox took it as a sign that their arrangement was still intact. "Thanks, Stan. Knew I could count on you."

Stanislaw pulled some fruit leather from his pocket, idly chewing it as he watched the fox resume his frustrated pacing.

"I tell ya, Stan - the way some other mammals look at me, like they're just waiting for me to go flying off the rails and maul someone." Nick angrily kicked at a small stone, sending it skittering down the dry creek bed. "That _damn_ rabbit!"

Things carried on like that for weeks. Whenever Nick couldn't handle things, he'd retreat to his bridge. Once in a while Stanislaw would wander by, and on rare occasions he would stop to keep the fox company – albeit without much conversation.

It was nothing short of poetic that the only time the rules of their arrangement were broken was when Judy had come to find him. Although Stanislaw hadn't taken kindly to the violation of his rules - even if there was no way Judy could have known –given the circumstances had seemed willing to let the transgression slide.

Judy never again ventured onto the property, but every now and again the old boar would discover the bunny at the gates, playing on her phone as she waited patiently to collect the fox. It was on just such a day that Stanislaw made his way to Nick's hiding place. He peered down from atop the bridge to find Nick sprawled in a folding chair, and grunted loudly enough to get the fox's attention. "Mikołaj!"

When the fox failed to react, he tried again. "Mikołaj! Twój mały buntownik czeka na Ciebie!"

Nick let out a long-suffering sigh, lifting his aviators to glare up at the mammal intruding upon his peace. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Stan."

Stanislaw met the fox's glare easily. "Och, nie daj mi taką postawę!"

"Okay, Stan." Nick lowered his sunglasses once more. "Whatever."

Grumbling quietly to himself, the boar made him way down from the bridge and took a seat on what had become his customary rock. Settling into a comfortable position, he looked up at Nick.

"What?"

Stanislaw produced his usual pouch of fruit leather and began nibbling on a piece.

"Seriously... _what_?"

Stanislaw cocked his head expectantly, but said nothing. The pair stubbornly carried out their impromptu staring contest for several minutes before Nick finally broke.

"Fine, if you're just gonna pester me about it _._ " The fox groaned. "You know Judy, righ...no, of course you do. Anyway, she and I have been partners for a while now. She's my best friend and easily the best part of my life. I don't know what I'd do without her, and the other day when Bogo – that's our boss – announced that he was looking at assigning everyone to new partners, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack."

He pulled off his sunglasses and placed them on an overturned bucket. "Judy says we're the best team in the precinct and that ol' buffalo butt – Bogo is a buffalo, by the way – would be crazy to split us up. But of course I can see she's worried. But the question is, what is she worried _about_? That she'd have to work with someone else? That I might not do as well without her? Or is she like me, afraid that maybe Bogo's noticed that the two of us are _maybe_ a little friendlier than partners ought to be."

He let the sentence hang, eyeing Stanislaw cautiously. "I dunno what it's like where you're from, Stan. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure _where_ you're from. Somewhere in Eastern Ewerope, I guess?" Nick shook his head. "Doesn't matter. What I _can_ say that despite all the talk these days about harmony and equality, mammals in Zootopia still get pretty un-peaceful when two animals from different species start getting...y'know...close."

"And you know what the best part is? The whole question is moot if she doesn't feel the same way I do." He threw his paws skyward, snarling in frustration. "She wears her heart on her sleeve, Stan. She's so damn earnest and so damn affectionate _all the time_. How am I supposed to get a read on someone like that? Does she like me, or is she just...y'know... _sweet_?"

"And even if she _does_ , she's got so much to lose. I mean, what about her career? She's worked her _entire life_ to get where she is. I can't ask her to throw all that away for me."

The old boar looked at him impassively, cleared his throat, but didn't comment.

"Thanks, Stan." Collapsing into his folding chair, Nick laughed softly at himself; venting his feelings to a mammal who likely didn't understand a word he was saying. "You always know just what to say."

A few minutes passed, then Nick let out another - longer – groan to signal that he was finally ready to return to civilization. As he occasionally did, Stanislaw stood to walk him out. There was nothing authoritarian about it – just two mammals walking in companionable silence. Coming round the last corner, he saw Judy quickly stuff her phone away and enthusiastically run up to the gates.

"Och, mały buntownik." Stanislaw muttered chuckling. He had taken to calling Judy that just after they'd met and she'd obliged the boar with a polite smile. For Nick's part, he assumed it meant something along the lines of 'Miss Bunny' - not the worst nickname she could have received from an older mammal.

"Thanks for listening, Stan." Nick smirked as they reached the gates. "But I guess sometimes life doesn't go the way we wa..."

Without warning, the old boar gave a frustrated snort and stepped in front of him, blocking his path to the exit. "Dosyć, Mikołaj!"

"Wha..."

"Weź kilka rad od starego ssaka, Mikołaj." Stanislaw snapped, jabbing a sharp trotter into Nick's chest. "Jeśli ją kochasz - jeśli naprawdę ją kocham - nie pozwól małe umysły i słabe dusze stanąć między wami."

"Nie będę kłamać, Mikołaj. To nie będzie łatwe. Po tym wszystkim, swój mały buntownik jest szalony." The normally gruff boar offered him a rare grin. "Ale jest to dobry rodzaj szaleństwa i tylko głupiec nie widzi, że ona cię kocha."

"Stan, I don't unde..." Nick tried to interrupt, glancing at his startled-looking partner.

Ignoring the fox's stammering, he clapped Nick firmly on the shoulder. "Pamiętaj, że jesteś silniejsza jako zespół, Mikołaj. Reszta będzie dbać o siebie."

Taking Nick by the elbow, Stanislaw turned him toward the gates and pointed at the bewildered rabbit. "Teraz idź, Mikołaj. Ona nie będzie czekać wiecznie."

Giving Nick a shove that very nearly sent the thoroughly baffled fox sprawling, Stanislaw calmly shut the gate behind him.

"You okay, Nick?" Judy asked as Nick stumbled to regain his balance.

"I'm okay, Carrots." The fox shook his head, glaring at the boar. "Though I have the distinct impression that's been building for a while."

"Maybe." She nodded. "Hey, you remember the dairy next to my parent's farm?"

"The cows with that blueberry milkshake that caused me to transcend to a higher plane of existence?"

"It did not!" She laughed. "I keep telling you, that was just an ice cream headache!"

"So _you_ say." He muttered. "But yes, I remember them."

"The Kowalzyki herd." She continued. "I actually spent my summers working there when I was still in university."

"Are you planning on coming to a point, Carrots?"

With a coy smile, she turned to wait for the boar to finish securing the gate. As he double-checked the lock, Stanislaw nodded at each of them politely. "Dobranoc, Mikołaj. Dobranoc, mały buntownik."

"Dobranoc, Stanisław." Judy chirped, much to the surprise of the older mammal. "Dziękuję za opiekę nad moim lisa!"

Turning, she took Nick's paw and led the astonished fox back to the car, Stanislaw's booming laughter trailing just behind them.

* * *

 _Vehement vulpine voices vexing veracities_

 _Polish porcine's point perplexes policeman_

 _Beautiful bunny bemuses benevolent boar_

* * *

 **I FORGOT THAT THIS SITE DOESN'T LET READERS COPY TEXT, SO HERE ARE THE TRANSLATIONS. :)**

 **Mikołaj! Twój mały buntownik czeka na Ciebie!  
** Nicholas! Your little rebel is waiting for you!

 **Och, nie daj mi taką postawę!  
** Oh, do not give me that attitude!

 **Och, mały buntownik.  
** Oh, little rebel

 **Dosyć, Mikołaj!  
** Enough, Nicholas!

 **Weź kilka rad od starego ssaka, Mikołaj. Jeśli ją kochasz - jeśli naprawdę ją kocham - nie pozwól małe umysły i słabe dusze stanąć między wami.  
** Take some advice from an old mammal, Nicholas. If you love her - if you really love her - do not let small minds and weak souls stand between you.

 **Nie będę kłamać, Mikołaj. To nie będzie łatwe. Po tym wszystkim, swój mały buntownik jest szalony. Ale jest to dobry rodzaj szaleństwa i tylko głupiec nie widzi, że ona cię kocha.  
** I will not lie, Nicholas. It will not be easy. After all, your little rebel is crazy. But it is a good kind of madness, and only a fool does not see that she loves you.

 **Pamiętaj, że jesteś silniejszy razem. Reszta będzie dbać o siebie.  
** Remember that you are stronger together. The rest will take care of itself.

 **Teraz idź, Mikołaj. Ona nie będzie czekać wiecznie.  
** Go now, Nicholas. She will not wait forever.

 **Dobranoc, Mikołaj. Dobranoc, mały buntownik.  
** Good night, Nicholas. Good night, little rebel.

 **Dobranoc, Stanisław. Dziękuję za opiekę nad moim lisa.  
** Good night, Stanisław. Thank you for taking care of my fox.


	14. Ideology

**For My Reviewers** **: I want to take a moment to thank you all for your comments, questions, praise and criticisms. I appreciate each & every one of them and always look forward to hearing from you.**

* * *

 _The argument between Nick and the Chief over who was the better musician – Gazelle or Dave Growhl – made the Nighthowler Riots seem like a minor disagreement._

It began innocuously enough, right on the tail end of the morning briefing. Bogo had just finished handing out assignments when he added that Gazelle was putting on a benefit concert the following month, and that in a gesture of thanks she had offered a free ticket to any member of the ZPD that would like to attend. Anyone who wanted a ticket was to have his or her name submitted by the end of the week, and that they should all feel very honored at this opportunity to see a world-class musician in person.

Nick had snorted faintly in response, not looking up from his phone when Bogo fixed him with a glare. "Do you have something to add, Officer Wilde?"

Looking up, Nick offered the Chief a half-hearted shrug. "It isn't really my kind of music, sir. I prefer something with a little more depth."

Even after thousands of years of evolution, there were certain instincts that animals still held on to. Some were specific to a given species. Wolves still preferred to run in packs. Rabbits still preferred to live underground. But in this moment, there was one instinct that every mammal in the room felt loud and clear - the sense of an approaching storm.

"So it's your opinion..." Bogo said slowly. "...that Gazelle's music lacks depth?"

"Yeah, pretty much." The fox tilted his head to one side. "I mean... fun as it is, pop music really doesn't have a lot to say."

"It speaks to the heart." Bogo responded, furrowing his brow. "You _do_ have a heart, don't you Wilde?"

"Of course, sir." Nick grinned. "It just doesn't go all a-flutter for another fly-by-night pop star."

Bogo's eye gave a faint twitch. "Care to elaborate on that, Officer Wilde?"

The fox's reply was interrupted when Judy took ahold of his arm, "Take it easy, Nick. Don't go saying something you'll regret."

"Nobody asked you, Hopps." Bogo snapped as Nick wriggled free of her grasp. "You listen to Justin Timberwolf – that makes your opinion dubious at best."

"Sure, I'll _elaborate_." Nick drawled. "Pop stars come and go so quickly that you barely have a chance to learn their name before they fade away. You want to talk about a musician with a little tenure? Take a look at Dave Growhl."

"Spare me, Wilde. Gazelle released her first album at the age of thirteen." The buffalo sneered at him. "What was your precious grunge rocker doing at thirteen, hm?"

"Not listening to some tween's debut album, that's for damn sure." Nick quipped. "Growhl's career goes back over thirty years. The Fur Fighters alone have nine albums and have been together for _two decades_! Now _that_ is endurance."

"Endurance, Wilde, is ten studio albums, four live albums, two compilation albums, forty-nine singles - including nine as featured artist - and nine additional promotional singles."

Despite looking ever-so-slightly impressed, the fox continued unabated. "Fine, so you can put her in front of a microphone. Your pop princess still couldn't stand up to a harsh breeze. Didn't she cancel a concert last year over a rolled ankle?"

"What of it?"

"Growhl broke his leg _in the middle of a show_." Nick informed him. "And not only did he not leave the stage, he sat in a folding chair and kept playing while the paramedics were putting the cast on."

Several of the other officers seemed genuinely impressed at that - even Bogo's eyebrows raised incrementally.

"And that's not even getting into his years in Furvana." Nick added.

"Oh here we go! Another misled disciple at the altar of Furvana." Bogo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I swear I would rather bore out my ears with a power drill than listen to so much as a second of those self-indulgent, whining twenty-somethings."

A faint gasp echoed about the room as Nick's hackles began to rise. "Wha _._.. _what did you just say?_ "

"You heard me, fox." Bogo responded, dismissively glancing at the files on his podium.

The sound of Nick's teeth grinding was practically audible as he slowly rose to his feet. "Come over here and say it to my face, _buffalo_."

Bogo laughed mockingly at the small predator. "Watch yourself, Wilde. If you get any more upset, you might have to go write a song about it."

"As if you'd know what a real song sounded like, you barbarian!" Nick's fired back.

"Better than some collection of long-maned _hacks_ with a few sob stories and a poorly-tuned guitar." Bogo sneered, contemptuously flicking a pencil in the fox's direction.

"One more word against Furvana! _One more word!_ " Nick screamed, fur practically standing on end. "And I swear by everything good and holy, I will raise up an army and _tear down your pop-diva's misbegotten empire_!"

" _You'll_ raise an army? Gazelle has sold sixty million records worldwide!" The buffalo leaned in, narrowing his eyes dangerously as he growled. " _We will crush you beneath our boots_."

"As if you could tear yourselves away from the latest waste-of-time Gazelle app for two damn seconds!"

"I will not hear this disrespect in my Precinct!" Bogo roared, the veins in his neck pulsing. "Heathens like you should be thrown in shackles and locked away!"

"And philistines like _you_ should be burned at the stake!" The fox barked, baring his teeth.

" _I WILL HAVE YOUR TATTERED HIDE NAILED TO MY OFFICE DOOR, FOX!_ " Bogo roared, smashing his fists down on the podium.

Leaping onto the tabletop, Nick threw his arms wide. " _BRING IT, YOU TONE-DEAF COW!_ "

No one moved. No one even dared to breathe, and for a few seconds the briefing room was so silent you could have mistaken it for a tomb. Beginning softly but rising in volume, a groan emanated from Bogo's podium as his grip steadily tightened. Unafraid, Nick continued to glare up at the much larger mammal.

The enormous Cape buffalo finally broke the silence, his voice rolling over them like thunder. "Everybody out."

Most of them didn't need to be told twice. As the other mammals practically stampeded out to the bullpen, Judy seemed uncertain as to whether or not she should intervene. The decision was made when Wolford grabbed her and tore from the room, the protesting bunny tucked under him arm. They reached the door in less than a second, and from there the wolf sprinted flat-out for the fire exit.

The last thing Judy saw before they reached the stairs was Bogo's podium crashing through the briefing room window, followed by Nick's defiant snarl.

* * *

Over an hour passed before the other officers were brave enough to venture back into the bullpen, creeping between the desks as they eyed the closed door to Bogo's office. Although there were no indications that her partner had met an unfortunate end, Judy was already sending her thirty-seventh panicked text message when the ZPD's only fox came strolling in the precinct's front doors - seemingly unharmed. He ignored the startled looks he received from his fellow officers, many of whom looking like they'd seen a ghost, as he casually made his way to the bullpen and toward Chief Bogo's office.

He knocked lightly as he poked his head in. "Good afternoon, sir. You have a moment?"

"What do you want, Wilde?" Bogo responded in his usual disinterested tone, not looking up from the paperwork on his desk.

"Just wanted to mention that I looked up to that album you recommended, and I'm a big enough mammal to admit it - she's got some talent."

"Which one was that again?"

"Laundry Service." Nick reminded him. "The title was written on the chair you threw at my head."

"Ah yes." The buffalo nodded. "I have to say, your recommendation wasn't too bad either."

"Remind me?"

"One By One." Bogo replied. "You suggested that I might recognize the black, shriveled-looking heart on the album cover."

"Glad you enjoyed it." Nick said, smirking. "Briefing room in ten?"

"That's correct, Wilde. Now get out of my office."

Nick left without another word. Calmly wandering in the direction of the coffee machine, he'd barely made it ten paces before his path was blocked by thirty-eight pounds of exceptionally anxious bunny.

"Heya Carrots." He greeted her with a smile. "What's up?"

The rabbit gawked at him, disbelief written on her features. "Y-you're alive..."

"Damn, Fluff." He chuckled, fond smile giving way to his usual smirk. "With observation skills like that, I can't believe they haven't made you a detective yet."

"Where have you been?!"

"Lunch." He responded easily. "I would have texted you, but my phone died. Too much time watching Ewetube, I guess."

"B-but you…" She stammered, eyes jumping between her partner and the pair of antelopes from building maintenance currently replacing the shattered briefing room window.

"Oh, that?" Nick patted her lightly on one shoulder. "Nothing to worry yourself over, Carrots; just a lively discussion between music fans."

Turning on one paw, he strolled away from the sputtering rabbit and toward the briefing room, idly humming a few bars of _Hips Don't Lie._

* * *

In case you never noticed, The Fur Fighters are on Judy's iPod - ironically right above Gazelle.


	15. Pressure

The knife hadn't gone in very far, thanks both to his ribs and the protection afforded by his issued Kevlar vest, so Nick didn't pay it much attention until suddenly it felt like Francine was sitting on his chest.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Wilde. Take a hot day and prone-to-melting treats, then throw in a pair of hyperactive tiger cubs?" Shaking her head, Fangmeyer smoothly maneuvered their cruiser through the streets of Precinct One's patrol area. "Richard runs one way, Parker runs the other, both of them are practically covered in sticky syrup and dry macaroni, and I'm standing there wondering how the hell I'm gonna explain this to their parents."

"Oh man," Nick laughed. "What did your brother have to say when he picked them up?"

"He takes in the sight of my completely _thrashed_ apartment and the pair of walking catastrophes standing in the middle of it all, looks me right in the eye and tells me – not even kidding - that I got off easy."

"What?!" The fox cackled as he wiped a tear from one eye. "Lemme tell you, its stories like that remind me how glad I am to be an only kit."

"Wilde, stories like _that_ remind me why I'm never having any of my own. This job and a pair of lunatic nephews provide all the chaos I need."

In the week since Fangmeyer's partner had gone on maternity leave and Chief Bogo had finally forced Judy to take some long-overdue vacation days, Nick had gotten to know the squad's only tiger much better than he would have expected. Many of the larger predator officers had been a little standoffish around him, at least in the beginning, and he'd assumed that she'd be no different.

To his surprise, he'd discovered a friendly and outgoing mammal who may or may not have been responsible for at least three pranks Nick had taken the heat for, and who was almost _certainly_ harboring a crush on a certain unnamed wolf officer.

His musings were interrupted when the tiger gestured to a nearby alleyway and the short figure barely visible in the opening.

"Check it out; El Tejones colors. I think we've found our next contestant."

"Outside the Meadowlands District? Weird."

She nodded, easing the cruiser to a halt just outside the gang banger's line of sight. "What do you want to bet he's holding?"

"No bet." Nick chuckled as he hopped out of the car. "Time for another fun-filled episode of _Guess Who's Going to Jail._ "

"Hey there!" Nick called out, smiling as he sauntered up. The mammal rounded on Nick, his hood falling back to reveal a young badger barely out of his teens. "You wouldn't have an aspirin, would you? I've got a killer headache."

The badger turned to flee down the alley and let out a startled squeak, suddenly faced with a four-hundred-pound tiger that had _somehow_ snuck up on him.

"Don't run." Fangmeyer cautioned him in a low rumble.

"That's good advice, kid." Nick agreed, edging closer as he removed the cuffs from his belt. "I've seen her hit forty miles an hour on a straightaway, and this alley? It looks pretty straight. You'll never make it."

The young mammal looked back and forth between them with increasingly panicked eyes, slowly inching his paw toward his jacket pocket.

Nick tensed, but kept his voice level. "Take it easy, kid. Don't do something you're going to regr..."

With a guttural snarl, the badger lunged at Nick before the fox could dodge out of the way. A sharp burst of pain erupted from his side as the badger tried to tackle him to the ground, but his training – and the ensuing burst of adrenaline – helped him trap his assailant's limb and twist it into a vicious arm lock. Quickly pressing his advantage, Nick drove the other mammal to the ground, wrenched the blade from the badger's paw and pinned him with a knee between the shoulders.

"Damn, Wilde." Fangmeyer let out a low whistle. "Nice takedown."

Nick mumbled a response as he secured the badger's paws, closing the cuffs just a _little_ tighter than he had to. Rising to his feet, he reached around to find whatever injury the little punk had left. Gently prodding up and down his left side, he let out a faint hiss when he came to the small hole in his shirt. Relief washed over him when he withdrew his paw and found only a few drops of blood.

"You alright?"

He nodded, grimacing as he took a seat on the curb. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You sure?" She pressed, lifting the young gang-banger to his feet. "Maybe I ought to take a look."

"I'm _fine_ , Stripes. The vest took the worst of it." Nick insisted. "Just call it in. I'll be alright until the paramedics get here."

Fangmeyer hesitated for a moment, then Nick watched with smug satisfaction as she walked the cuffed mammal to their cruiser; the self-assumed 'tough-mammal' visibly flinched when the back door slammed shut.

The adrenaline high had begun to fade and Nick loosened his Kevlar vest, hoping to ease the uncomfortably tight feeling around his chest. Taking a deep breath; he found that it seemed to take just a little more effort than it ought to. The next breath was a little more difficult, and within minutes he could barely draw air at all. He could feel himself starting to panic and tried calling Fangmeyer's name; it came out as a strangled whine. Surprised, she turned around just as he began to slump backward.

She was running before he even hit the ground, rushing over and kneeling beside him. She pulled the fox's shirt open and lifted his vest away to expose his injury, gasping softly at the bloody froth of bubbles coming out of wound.

She sprinted back to the cruiser, updating dispatch as she retrieved the medical bag from the trunk. Rolling his head to one side, Nick locked eyes with the perp locked in the car. By his stunned expression, it appeared that the young mammal was having some difficulty getting a grip on what was happening. Nick wondered if he realized he might be responsible for murdering a police officer - a grim train of thought that was derailed when the tiger suddenly reappeared at his side.

"Wilde!" She growled as she pulled a small plastic dressing from the bag and firmly pressed it against his side. "C'mon, Wilde - try to stay calm. I need you to try and take a breath."

He struggled to draw air into his lungs, but it felt like something was crushing him from the inside. As a reddish haze began to creep into the edges of his vision, he saw the tigress expression become uncertain. She paused for what felt like an eternity, then leaned forward to place a single paw firmly over his chest. In the back of his mind, Nick felt a measure of shock at how large it was.

"Okay, Wilde." She said, an almost imperceptible tremor in her voice. "This is probably gonna hurt."

He'd barely registered her warning before he felt her paw tense. A renewed jolt of pain erupted on his right side and his body involuntarily tried to surge upward. Then the pressure was suddenly gone and he fell weakly back to the pavement, hungrily drawing breath after breath. All he could think was how sweet the air was, barely feeling it when Fangmeyer pressed another airtight dressing against his chest.

A wave of exhaustion rushed over him and his eyelids began to feel heavy. He could just make out the sound of the approaching ambulance before he lost consciousness.

* * *

"How are we feeling, Officer Wilde?"

Nick opened his eyes and winced at the sudden light. Blinking slowly, the hazy shape before him resolved into an elk in a white coat, clipboard in hoof. "Huh...wuzzat...?"

"You're in Zootopia General, officer." The doctor glanced down at Nick's chart. "I'm Doctor Storrier. Do you remember what happened to you?"

Nick nodded slowly, increasingly aware of the pain in his chest and sides.

"What..." Nick began pulling the oxygen mask off his muzzle. "What…the hell…was that?"

"Pneumothorax, better known as a sucking chest wound." Gently batting Nick's his paws away, the doctor replaced the mask. "The knife wound was letting air into your chest cavity. Every breath you took was squeezing your lungs a little tighter."

"Yeah..." Nick tried for a laugh but only managed a wheezing cough. "Noticed...that."

"It's no laughing matter, son." Dr. Storrier looked down at him seriously. "If your fellow officer hadn't acted so quickly, you might not have made it to the hospital."

"Who...?"

"I'm afraid I didn't catch her name. The tiger?" Storrier continued.

"Fangmeyer. Her name's Fangmeyer." Nick informed him, turning his head toward the open door. Down the hall, amongst a crowd of worried-looking officers, he could see Fangmeyer talking to Judy. More accurately, he could see Fangmeyer standing awkwardly as Judy tearfully thanked her over and over, tightly hugging the tigress' legs.

"What did she do?"

Fangmeyer noticed Nick watching them and smiled, rolling her eyes slightly as she gestured to the distraught bunny.

"The damnedest thing I have ever heard. She went and relieved the pressure by poking another hole in you with her claw, then sealed off both wounds once the trapped air had escaped." The doctor shook his head. "For what it's worth, I do believe that officer passed you one of her nine lives."

* * *

Public Service Announcement:

I'm not a doctor and fanfiction shouldn't be taken as medical advice. If you ever find yourself in this situation, **DO NOT** start poking holes in people. Poking holes in people is **BAD**.


	16. Tied

_It took more practice that he'd ever admit to, but the look on her face when he matched her obstacle course times exactly made it worth every second._

* * *

"Wilde!"

Nick turned toward the booming voice, coming face-to-face with their senior instructor, Major Friedkin. "Major?"

"Wilde, I just watched you intentionally slow yourself down on that obstacle." The towering polar bear glared down at him. "I'd assume it was laziness, but yesterday I watched you push yourself damn near to the breaking point doing wind sprints. Care to explain yourself?"

Although Nick intended to spin an eloquent and masterful story to explain his actions, the combination of physical exhaustion and the bear's stormy expression turned his silver tongue to lead. "I...I'm..."

"Answer me, Cadet!"

"I'm trying to match Judy Hopps' scores, Major."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm trying to match Judy Hopps' sc..."

"Stop." She interrupted. "Training office. Now."

* * *

"Wilde, I need to know if I should be concerned." The Major revealed as she tossed her clipboard on the desk. "The psychological stress a candidate undergoes is a major factor in training, but so is determining whether that stress is negatively affecting their performance. You understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, Major." He responded, standing rigidly at attention.

"I'll admit that you've set an admirable goal, and you're not the first cadet to come here chasing a former cadet's scores." Friedkin leaned down to eye level. "But gauging your performance against someone else's metrics will _not_ help you improve."

"Yes, Major." He repeated.

"Which begs the question, why are you so determined to beat her? Looking to prove something?"

"I'm not trying to beat her scores, Major. I'm trying to match them. Exactly."

That seemed to give her pause. She took a seat across from him, her expression unreadable even to the former con artist. ""I...see. You'd best expand on that."

Nick hesitated, mentally reviewing the train of thought that had brought him to this point.

It was no secret that there were plenty of political figures in Zootopia who hadn't been fans of Leodore Lionhart, even before the Nighthowler crisis. With the former mayor in prison – albeit for less time than his successor would be – many of his opponents were eager to tear down his legacy. The Mammal Inclusion Initiative, in particular, had attracted its fair share of criticism, particularly from those speciest apparatchik wackos in the Taxonomic Solidarity Party.

A year ago the TSP would have been laughed from the podium, but even after Bellwether's scheme had been revealed as the cause of the 'savage predators', inter-species tensions remained higher than ever. Their message was beginning to gain traction among frightened mammals looking for an easy answer; a place for every mammal, and every mammal in their place.

Naturally, the TSP leadership felt very strongly that the ZPD wasn't the place for either a fox or a bunny – particularly since it undermined the very core of what they represented. When he and Judy exposed the former mayor's conspiracy, it had given Bogo the leverage he needed to push the TSP back. Even so, Nick could still see the writing on the wall.

Even after all she'd accomplished, Judy remained an outlier in the eyes of most mammals. The single exception to the rule that a bunny could never be a cop. And if she had been the trial run for the MII, then he was the confirmation test.

"I'm waiting, cadet." Friedkin reminded him, snapping his attention back into the present. For his part, Nick matched her stare and tried not to fidget.

"If I do better than her..." Now that he'd started, the words came pouring out. "If I do better than her, then critics of the Inclusion Initiative will call it proof that she did well 'for a bunny', but not as well as other mammals in her size-class could. It'd rob her of the credibility she's worked so hard to earn. On the other paw, next to her I'll be the smallest mammal to ever attend the academy. If I do poorly, they'll call it proof that Carr...er...Hopps was an outlier and that the clear majority of small mammals aren't up to the challenge. The only way to side-step that is to do _exactly_ as well as she did, across the board."

The Major paused, leaning back in her chair. "Wilde...that is _far_ and _away_ the most nonsensical thing I have _ever_ heard. And I used to process mental patients into holding."

"Because politics always makes sense?"

"Watch that attitude, Cadet!" She admonished sharply. "Neither the credibility of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative _or_ that of Officer Hopps are your responsibility. _Your_ responsibility is to perform to the utmost of your capabilities, and if I think you're doing any less I _WILL_ have you ejected from the academy so fast you'll think your tail was on fire."

* * *

It wasn't as if he was doing this for fun, or to try and prove a point. As paranoid as his reasoning might sound (and he could admit that it did sound a little paranoid) it wasn't something he was willing to take a risk on. Judy had done so much for him, changed his life for the better in so many ways, that even the outside possibility of screwing it all up terrified him.

 _"_ _Dammit, Wilde. If I catch you slacking again you ARE going to receive a swift kick in your bright red hind parts! Am I understood?!"_

 _"_ _Yes, Major!"_

Nick had never believed in the idea of luck. As far as he was concerned, it was a myth for the unintelligent and underprepared. But if there _was_ such a thing, he'd probably used his entire life's supply just getting here. Surviving the Missing Mammals case and getting through the Nighthowler Crisis that followed were impressive enough, but then he'd actually been _accepted_ into the Zootopia Police...that alone seemed to defy all sense and logic.

He'd never admit it to her, but he'd only applied for Judy's sake. The idea that a fox's application would even be considered was absurd, but he'd done it just to see that beautiful smile. When he'd received the call to come in for an initial interview, he'd assumed that it was just a courtesy. An acknowledgement for his contributions to the city, at most.

When the desk sergeant directed him to the Chief's office rather than the recruiting section, he thought he knew what was coming; a brief thank-you followed by a polite explanation that his application couldn't be accepted. It wouldn't be the first time, and over the years he'd learned so many polite ways to be rejected.

 _"_ _Run it again, Wilde! I want to see six seconds less on the climbing wall and ten seconds off your overall time."_

 _"_ _Yes, Major!"_

Faced with the same buffalo he'd verbally skewered a few months earlier, it had taken all his willpower to maintain a calm expression. They sat in silence, taking their time to size one another up, before the Chief began. "I'm well aware of your questionable past, fox, and I've rejected applications without hesitation for _far_ less. Had you applied a month ago, you'd have never even received a response."

"I..."

"The city council would have given Hopps anything; if she'd requested my job, she may well have gotten it. But all she asked was that I take a leap of faith and accept your application." The buffalo had pulled a sheaf of paper from his drawer, signed them and handed them to Nick. "Hand these to Officer Clawhauser on your way out."

"Er...thank y..."

Bogo raised a hoof and Nick had fallen silent. "This will not be easy, fox. In all likelihood, you will not be successful. But it won't be because you weren't given a chance."

 _"_ _Wilde, get back on your feet or I'll have you running this course until I get tired."_

 _"_ _Yes, Major!"_

* * *

Unfortunately for Nick, the Major was as good as her word. Every time he tried to manipulate his performance - even when he'd been certain she couldn't see him - she seem to appear out of nowhere to tear a strip off him. On the bright side, his remaining time at the academy flew by once he stopped watching and analyzing every step he took.

When they were handed their final grades, he found that his performance differed from Judy's in almost every way. Although she held several academy records for fastest course times, he'd needed far fewer tries to master each obstacle. She'd excelled in hand-to-hand takedowns, he'd qualified for sharpshooter his first day on the range.

Her encyclopedic knowledge of Zootopian laws, by-laws and statutes was unparalleled. He'd shown such skill with communication and interrogation techniques, one of the instructors had recommended he be assigned back to the academy to teach future officers.

He was still going over his final marks when the Major spoke up from behind him. "Looking forward to graduating tomorrow?"

"I really am." He chuckled. "Who'd have thought?"

"I can't speak for anyone else, but I was fairly confident." She gestured to the paperwork in his paw. "Not for nothing, but if you _had_ matched all of Hopps' scores I'd have personally recommended that the two of you not be partnered together."

He looked up in surprise. "What?!"

"Good partners should complement one another, and Hopps doesn't need to be patrolling with another Hopps. As it happens, I think the two of you will work nicely together. That being said..." She held up her clipboard, revealing a blank ZPA Obstacle Course scorecard. "I'll be on the training field at 8pm this evening with a stopwatch. Just in case you feel like taking one last swing at it."

* * *

Gasping for breath in the cool evening air and resisting the urge to retch on the grass, Nick turned to face the amused bear. "How'd...I...do?"

She didn't answer immediately, the only sound was the faint scratching of her pencil. Just when he was about to give in to temptation and ask again, she smiled and handed him the completed scorecard. "You did it, Wilde. Right down to the second."

"I...did?"

"Numbers don't lie, Cadet. It won't be reflected in your academy records, but at least it'll give Hopps a good shock. I hope she realizes how lucky she is to have someone so dedicated."

"Well, it's like you said," He stepped back to shake some water from his fur. "We work well together."

"Not what I meant, Cadet."

"Then what did you mean?"

"You'll figure it out." She pointed to the cadet barracks. "Now go to bed, Wilde. Tomorrow's a big day."

"Y'know Major, you act tough but deep down you're just a big teddy bear." Nick realized his mistake the moment the words left his mouth, and the scowl on the bear's face only served to underline it. "I..."

"You know what, Cadet? This is an old stopwatch."

"It...is?"

"Yup. You'd better run the course again, just to be sure."

Nick sighed and began trudging toward the start line. "Yes, Major."

* * *

Chapter edited after posting, because I managed to get Friedkin's name _and_ rank wrong. I'll leave it up to you whether to be disappointed or impressed.


	17. Hangover

_Gently resting her head on the cool surface of her desk and blindly fumbling for the bottle of aspirin she kept in her drawer, Judy resolved to fully appreciate how unbelievably amazing the Gazelle concert had been...just as soon as the room stopped spinning._

* * *

"That was amazing!" Judy was still bouncing up and down as they left Unity Arena, dancing to music only she could hear.

"Wasn't it?!" Clawhauser squealed, paws pressed to his chubby cheek. "And what about that closing number! And the _encore_!"

"And those _dancers_..." Fangmeyer purred.

" _Amazing!_ " The bunny cried happily. " _All of it!_ "

Nick couldn't help but laugh as his partner practically ricocheted off a parked car. "Easy there, Carrots. Come back down to earth with the rest of us."

"Oh, don't be such a wet blanket! Let her enjoy the moment." Clawhouser laughed as he came up beside the fox. "How about you, Nick. Any plans for the rest of the night?"

Nick shrugged. "I was just gonna head home."

Judy spun around, staring at her partner in dismay. "What?! It's way too early to go home!"

"Well, a bunch of us are going to O'Hoggin's for a drink. You two want to come along?"

"We'd love t..." Judy trailed off. "Oh, I can't. The trains are going to stop running soon. I wouldn't be able to get home."

"Don't worry about that, Judy-bee. I don't really drink." Clawhauser waved his paw dismissively. "Come have fun. I'll drive you and Nick home afterward."

Nick missed a step, stumbling as Judy gave the cheetah an uncertain glance. "You mean drive each of us to our respective homes, right?"

"Of course that's what I meant." Clawhauser grinned. "Now, let's get going!"

* * *

Although Judy had heard other officers mention O'Hoggin's Bar, she'd never actually been there. It was apparently a regular haunt for the officers of Precinct One and - like any cop bar –probably the safest place in Savannah Central. Looking around, she found herself quite taken with the establishment's old-world décor. Most restaurants in the centre of Zootopia had a chic, modern look to them; lots of glass, marble and polished metal. It was very pretty, but it sometimes felt a little...impersonal.

O'Hoggin's, on the other hand, had a warm and bright atmosphere. The furniture was all wood and the taps at the bar were all polished brass. The wall behind the bartender was lined with dozens of different liquors in bottles of every size.

"I'll say one thing; this place definitely serves the good stuff."

Her attention was pulled back to the table, focusing on her partner as he closely examined the amber liquid in his glass. "Does it now?"

"Oh, yeah." He took another sip and licked his chops happily. "Here, tell me that doesn't smell fantastic."

Leaning over, she delicately sniffed the contents of her partner's glass. Something about it tickled at her memories as she detected sweet hints of apple and cherry, layered over an earthy carrot smell she was so familiar with. "Wait a second..."

She grabbed the glass from her partner's paw, ignoring his protests and taking a small sip. The taste that landed on her tongue only served to emphasize the flavors she'd picked up, underlined with just the faintest hint of vanilla. "Hopps Scotch!"

"Hopscotch?" Nick gave her an annoyed glare, snatching his drink back from her. "I'm pretty sure they only have darts and pool here, Carrots."

"No, not hopscotch." She gave him a gentle cuff on the arm. "Hopps Scotch, with a space in the middle. That's my brother's distillery!"

"No kidding?" Nick sniffed at his drink again. "That's surprisingly cool for a country bunny. Why haven't I met the only cool Hopps?"

"Har har." She rolled her eyes. "Hold my seat, I'm gonna give him a call."

Zig-zagging her way through the crowded bar, Judy made her way outside as she pulled up her brother's phone number. The call connected on the first ring. "Thank you for calling Hopps Scotch Distillery. For our hours of operation, please press one..."

"Adam! It's Judy!" She cried happily.

"To arrange a tour of our distillery, please press two..."

"Cut it out!" She laughed. "I know it's you!"

"If you're interested in serving Hopps Scotch products in your establishment, please press four..."

"You skipped three!"

"...if you're the owner's know-it-all cop sister, please press three."

Judy waited for him to continue, her foot tapping the ground impatiently. "I'm not pressing it, Adam."

"To hear the choices again, please hold the line."

"Come _on_!"

"Thank you for calling Hopps Scotch Distillery. For our ho...

"Fine!" She jabbed the keypad in annoyance.

"Oh, hey there Judes. What's new?"

"You're annoying?"

"I asked what was _new._ "

She shook her head at her oldest brother's antics, reminding herself not to let him bait her. "Guess what?"

"That fox you're over the moon for finally asked you on a date?" She could practically _hear_ the grin in his voice.

"What? _No!_ " She hissed, glancing quickly over her shoulder to make sure the fox wasn't within earshot.

" _You_ finally asked _him_ on a date?"

" _Adam!_ "

"Okay, I give up." He laughed.

 _"_ Cheese and crackers..." She rolled her eyes. "I'm calling because the bar I'm in carries Hopps Scotch! I can't _believe_ you didn't tell me you were shipping to Zootopia!"

"It's a recent development." He replied offhandedly. "Just a couple of places around the city to test the market."

"That's great! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Judes." He chuckled. "But I have to ask, what otherworldly force convinced my goody-two-paws baby sister to go bar-hopping?"

She gave an affronted gasp. "I am _not_ a goody-two-paws!"

"Whatever you say, Ms. Hall Monitor of the Year."

"I was _not_!"

"Sure." He chuckled. "Say, what's the name of the place you're in?"

"O'Hoggin's."

"Alright, let me make a quick call. I'll get back to you." He assured her, sounding surprisingly sly for a bunny before he hung up.

Shaking her head as she walked back into the bar, Judy kept reminding herself not to let Adam get to her. He had a habit of putting ridiculous ideas in your head. The kind of ideas that would take root and drive a mammal crazy.

She and Nick were just friends!

So what if he'd come with her to Bunnyburrow four times?

What did it matter that they spent nearly all their time together?

The fact that they spoke on the phone every night when he was at the Academy didn't mean she was 'over the moon' for him!

She certainly didn't care about that his eyes sparkled a little when he was teasing her, and just because his fur was _super_ soft and the exact color of a summer sunset back home did _not_ mean she was attract...

"Hey, everyone!" Nick's voice shook her from her inner monologue. "I think Carrots used to be a moonshiner!"

"What?! Nick, I was _not_ a moonshiner!" She leaped back up to her seat and punched his shoulder indignantly, turning to the others. "My brothers and I just...er..."

"Made moonshine?" Nick suggested, gesturing to his glass.

"We made other things too!" Judy slapped a paw over her mouth. "I mean..."

"So, Carrots." Her partner leaned in closely and she felt her ears grow warm. "How _does_ an innocent country bunny end up in the illicit booze business?"

"I don't know." She pushed the fox away. "Lack of options, I guess? Bunnyburrow isn't exactly overflowing with entertainment."

"Well, I just don't know what to believe anymore."

"And we didn't sell it so we didn't break any laws!"

"Chill out, Hopps." Wolford laughed. "Nobody's gonna arrest you for making bathtub wine as a teenager."

Shooting her partner a dirty look, she sighed and turned to her fascinated co-workers. "Actually, we never made wine. Just hard liquors and a couple of dodgy attempts at beer."

"Like whiskey?"

"No, that took too long. Mostly gin and vodka." She smiled ruefully. "Vodka's pretty easy, actually."

Snarloff snorted disdainfully. "I think not. Distilling fine vodka is an _art_ , Hopps."

"I never said anything about _fine_ vodka, Karl. The term 'hooch' is probably more accurate." The bunny confessed, giggling at the polar bear's indignant expression. "And to be totally honest, our first attempts were mostly half-rotten corn mash. Things got a little more interesting later on, when we set up the still in the south barn."

"Wait a second," Nick interrupted, looking puzzled. "I've visited that farm enough times to know that the only thing to the south are the blueberry fields. There's no barn out there."

"You're half right." She laughed. "There's no barn out there _anymore._ "

He blinked. "Oh."

"Been to visit the ol' farm a few times, eh Wilde?" Wolford teased. "Meeting the future in-laws?"

Nick bristled slightly as Judy tried to hide her smile. "Cut it out, Danny."

"Ooh... did I hit a nerve?"

"Keep it up and I'll start a howl the next time you _almost_ ask Fangmeyer out."

The wolf sputtered, nearly dropping his beer as he furiously glanced around. "Dude! _Shut up!_ "

As the other officers started poking fun at the embarrassed wolf about his 'secret' crush on the tigress, Judy's phone began to buzz. Excusing herself, she glanced down to see a photo of her smirking brother. "Hi, Adam!"

"Good news, baby Jude!"

She rolled her eyes at the childhood nickname. "What's that?"

"I arranged for the bar you're in to give away all their Hopps-Scotch inventory as a promotion." He revealed. "Who's your favorite brother?"

"Oh my goodness!" She yelled happily, drawing the attention of everyone at the table. "You are! You're the best! Thank you!"

"Don't worry about it. We renegade Hopps' need to stick together, right?"

"Thank you, Adam! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Oh, and bring the Red Menace with you next time you visit home. I've got a blueberry liqueur in the works that might just be enough to loosen you two up."

"Hanging up now!" Blushing, she tucked her phone away.

"That sounded interesting." Nick commented. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"

"That was my brother! He convinced O'Hoggin's to serve all the Hopps Scotch products for _free_!"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah! Watch this!" She stood up on her chair to address the entire bar. "Attention everyone! Hopps Scotch drinks are on the house tonight!"

Rather than the uproar she'd expected, her announcement only seemed to produce a couple of laughs and a few strange looks; a mild sense of disappointment washed over her.

"No, Carrots. You're doing it all wrong." He didn't wait for her to respond before turning to Wolford and gesturing to his own shoulders. "Mind putting the Hopps on top, buddy?"

Laughing, the wolf picked the surprised bunny up and planted her on Nick's shoulders.

"What the...?!"

"Trust me, Carrots. You just need a little more hype." Nick commanded, raising his voice to shout over the noise. "FRIENDS! COMRADES! MAMMALS GREAT AND SMALL! THIS IS A MOMENTOUS OCCASION!"

The pair suddenly found themselves to be the centre of attention. Though Judy was by no means a shy mammal, she felt her face heat up and throat go dry under the combined stares.

"That's your cue, Carrots." Nick whispered up to her, giving her knee a comforting pat as he turned to shout to the crowd again. "HAIL HOPPS! THE BENEVOLENT BOOZE-BREWING BUNNY FROM THE BURROWS!"

Looking down at the grinning fox, she felt the nerves and embarrassment fade away. Inspired by her partner's antics, she raised her paws high and took a deep breath. "FAIR MAMMALS, GIVE HEED, FOR I BRING GLORIOUS NEWS!"

Nick chuckled. "Very Shakesbearian, Carrots."

"I'll have _you_ know that _I_ minored in Performing Arts in university." She fired back, laughing. "LET IT BE KNOWN THAT ON THIS EVENING, ALL DRINKS BEARING MY FAMILY'S NAME SHALL BE MADE FREELY AVAILABLE! HOPPS SCOTCH FOR EVERYONE! FOR I AM A RABBIT OF THE PEOPLE!"

The thunderous cheer that followed felt as though it might blow Nick right off his feet. Caught up in the moment, Judy grabbed a bear-sized spoon from the table and leaned around to smack the fox sharply on the rump. "ONWARD, MY NOBLE STEED!" Nick let out a surprised yelp and took off toward the bar, the bunny wielding the spoon over her head like a battle-axe. "TO GLORY!"

* * *

If there was one reason ZPD members tended to gravitate toward O'Hoggin's, it was that it wasn't generally regarded as a 'party' place. Unlike the packed bars found in the city centre, officers at O'Hoggin's were seldom called upon to break up fights, arrest drunks, or otherwise keep other mammals from making fools of themselves.

Once Judy practically declared an open bar, however, it didn't take long for the evening to get a little more...lively.

"Pennington, I'm serious! The thing about a good salad is...wait, no, shut up. The thing about a _really_ good salad is that you need _really_ good vegetables or else you've just got a great big bowl of shit!" Higgins stressed this point by slamming his arm down on the table.

"You're right." Francine nodded, emphatically gesturing at the hippo with a bucket-sized martini glass. "Bill, you are _so_ _absolutely_ _right_. Why don't more mammals get that? You can't just...just _make_ a salad!"

Rolling her eyes, Sofia Fangmeyer leaned over to elbow Wolford. "Hey, Danny. Herbivores, am I right?"

"I hear ya." The wolf laughed, lowering his menu to grin at the enormous pair of vegetarians. "Can't live with 'em. Not allowed to eat 'em."

"That's enough sass out of you, _Daniel_." Francine scolded, flicking a peanut at him with her trunk. Smirking, she added, "Or are you just trying to get us to leave?"

His tail, which had been wagging merrily, fell limp against the seat behind him. A mildly panicked look appeared on his face and he ducked back behind his menu. "I could really go for some shrimp tempura! How about you guys?"

"We're still herbies, buddy." Higgins reminded him, laughing. "Now you're definitely trying to make us leave!"

The wolf's ears pinned back sharply as he tried to sputter out a response, but he remained hidden behind the menu. As a result, he not only missed the annoyed glare Fangmeyer shot at Pennington and Higgins, but also the affectionate, if exasperated, look the tigress aimed at _him_.

"Good call, DAnny. That'd really hit the spot right now." She agreed, purring softly and pretending not to notice when the wolf's tail began wagging again. "What do you say we let them to argue about eating houseplants, go grab a booth and order something that's actually _edible_."

"Huh?" Wolford's head popped up from his detailed investigation of the soup options.

She didn't laugh, though anyone able to see her rapidly twitching tail would know how much effort it took. "I see an empty one right over there."

"Oh..." He blinked owlishly. "I mean..."

"You're not afraid to be alone with me, are you?" Giving in to the instinct to taunt her 'prey', she gave him a playful wink.

"I...I..."

"What's the matter, Danny?" Higgins laughed. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Not yet, Bill." Francine answered him, trying to suppress her grin. "That comes _after_ dinner."

"Sofia, I...

"Guys! Hey, you need see th..."

" _What?!_ " Fangmeyer snapped, glaring over her shoulder and bringing an excited Delgato to a skidding halt.

"It's...it's Hopps."

"What _about_ Hopps?" Her eyes narrowed.

"She's..." He paused, debating whether or not it was worth risking the tiger's wrath. "She's going shot-for-shot...against _Bogo_."

 _That_ was enough to restore Wolford's voice. "Wait...Hopps is doing _what?_ "

"I'm serious! They were standing by the bar and the Chief said it was too bad that such good alcohol was being made by mammals that could barely drink it. Hopps overheard him and said he didn't know what he was talking about." The lion shook his head in disbelief. "After that, things just kind of...escalated."

The wolf let out a despaired whine, eyes darting back and forth between the commotion across the bar and the tiger sitting beside him.

"Danny, listen to me." She gently placed her paw on his. "I think we both know that there's a time to talk, and there's a time to watch a bunny try to drink a buffalo under the table."

"God...it's like you can see into my _soul._ " He whispered, taking a second to gaze at her adoringly before they all scrambled to join the gathering crowd.

* * *

The entire bar stood awe-struck as the grey rabbit calmly downed _another_ shot. Grinning at the mammal across the table, she daintily placed the bunny-sized glass atop the ever-growing pyramid in front of her. "You're up, _Chief._ "

The massive buffalo grinned at her as he reached for his next drink. "And you're going down, _rabbit_." He threw the shot back, emptying the buffalo-sized shot glass and adding it to an increasingly long line that divided the table between them. Each of them watched the other closely, searching for any sign that the other mammal was reaching their limit.

"This reminds me of the first semi-successful batch my brothers managed to distill. It wasn't nearly as smooth as this stuff; burned a bit on the way down." Smiling coyly, Judy smoothly downed her next drink. "On the bright side, it _was_ pretty good at de-greasing engine parts."

"I'm sure it was quite strong, Hopps. For a rabbit's palette, that is." Bogo lifted his own glass in salute and drained it dry. "It's funny you should bring up brothers, though. I've not gone shot-for-shot with someone since my youngest brother's bachelor party. He did well enough, though we _did_ have to postpone the wedding until he regained consciousness."

"I know what _that's_ like. I lost count of how many times I was the last bunny standing." She finished off another shot, flipping the empty glass in one paw before placing it with the others. "Speaking of standing, you're looking a little wobbly. Loose chair leg?"

"I feel fine, Hopps." Downing another drink, he gently tapped the glass against one horn before putting it down. "Perhaps it's _your_ vision that isn't quite steady."

"It's nice to hear you're close to your brother, sir. Family is very important." She tipped the glass back, nose twitching slightly as she swallowed. "You know what's funny? I have a little over one hundred and thirty brothers, and I'm still considered the tough one in the family."

Bogo snorted, his breath creating faint ripples on the surface of each untouched drink.

"By the way, I ought to mention something..." She leaned in closely, forcing the buffalo to lower his head almost to the table's surface. "Would you believe that I heard someone say Gazelle's performance tonight _sucked_?!"

" _WHAT?!_ " The Chief roared, bursting up from his seat. His vision went red as he scanned the bar, fully intent on finding and skinning the hapless mammal that dared to speak ill of his favorite singer. A few seconds later, the reddish tinge to his vision started to go black as his hasty departure from the chair sent all the blood rushing to his hooves; he felt the room begin to spin. Then, as the mammals behind him scrambled to get out of the way, the thirteen-hundred-pound Cape buffalo pitched backward onto the floor.

"Woo hoo!" Judy leaped onto the table, basking the cheers of her fellow officers. "Bunny metabolism for the win!"

Stepping cautiously around the groaning buffalo, Nick reached up to take her paw as she climbed down unsteadily. "Damn, Carrots. Are you gonna be alright?"

"Of course." She grinned and threw her free paw in the air. "I'm indestructible!"

Trying not to laugh at his partner's smug expression, he looped an arm around her waist and guided her to a nearby table. "Okay there, Supermammal. Maybe you ought to switch to water for a while."

" _Pfft!_ I'll be _fine_." She scoffed, waving a paw in his face. "Did you even just _see_ that?! I took down the _Chief_ and I bet I won't even have a hangover tomorrow!"

"That _was_ pretty amazing." Nick admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Which makes sense, y'know, because you're kind of amazing yourself."

"Aww! Thanks, Nick!" She gushed, leaning over to give him a quick hug.

"Actually," He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I kinda wanted to talk about that, because I know _we've_ never really, uh, talked about it, but I also think what _we_ have is, y'know, really...amazing."

"That was very _articulate_ , Slick." Judy teased, not quite sure what to make of the stammering wreck that had replaced her usually cool-as-a-cucumber partner.

"I'm serious! It's like… I mean, what we've got is like...uh..." Nick trailed off, his alcohol-hindered brain struggling to form the perfect analogy. "It's like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!"

"Wait... _what_?"

"But _special_ peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!" He insisted, trying to recover. "To me, I mean."

She laughed, running her paw along his arm. "Okay, now I think _you've_ had too much to drink."

"No, listen! It's like, uh, you got peanut butter, and it's all smooth and creamy and everyone likes it but on its own it's just kinda, y'know, _there._ " He waved his paw in a dismissive gesture that almost knocked some empty glasses off the table. "Then you've got jelly, right? It's all sweet, and tangy, and bright, and pretty, and soft..."

"Soft?"

"What?! Oh, right. Uh..." He shook his head. "So, like, those are all really great but all of them together at once can be a _little_ overwhelming. Even if you happen to lo... _like_ jelly. But that's the thing! Because when peanut butter and jelly get together, they both become so much _more_ than they were before! The jelly gets a little smoother and the peanut butter ends up a little sweeter and the whole thing is just...magic."

"Awwwwww..." They both turned to find Clawhouser gazing at them dreamily. "That's so sweet."

"Ben!" Nick cried. "Not a good time, man!"

"You really love _sandwiches_ , don't you Nick?"

"Get out of here!" The fox protested, flailing his paws at their amused friend. "Bad kitty!"

"Okay, okay! I can tell when I'm not welcome." He backed away from the table, grinning. "I'll let you two get back to your important _sandwich_ conversation."

"Stupid sober Clawhauser." Nick muttered at the retreating cheetah's back. "Where's a water gun when you need one?"

"Was that true?" Judy asked, certain that everyone in the bar could see her blushing.

"Was what true?"

"What Ben said?" She hesitated, just for a second. "Do you love...sandwiches?"

"Y-yeah." He nodded slowly. " _Very_ much."

"Because I..." She smiled shyly. "I think I love sandwiches, too."

"Y-you do?"

"I really do. I just don't think I realized how much I needed them in my life till now."

"Well, I've known for a while now." He took her paw once more. "Sandwiches are what keep me going..."

"Nick, I..."

"THIS MAMMAL!" Bogo's overpowering yell seemed to fill the entire bar as he yanked the startled fox into a crushing one-armed hug. "THIS MAMMAL RIGHT HERE IS ONE OF MY BEST OFFICERS!"

"I...I am?" Nick stammered as his poor brain tried to catch up with this new development.

"YES!" The Chief loudly confirmed. "When you first joined the force, I thought you'd be a shifty, lying, thieving, cheating, good-for-nothing crook of a fox." He pulled Nick's face uncomfortably close to his own. "But you're _not._ "

"I...what?"

"I don't even care that your taste in music borders on blasphemy!"

"Thank you?" Nick ventured, leaning as far as he could in Judy's direction. "For the love of god, do something!"

"Chief, maybe you ought to sit down..." Judy began, reaching for her partner's paw.

"NONSENSE, HOPPS! Tonight is a celebration!" Bogo lifted Nick completely off the ground, ignoring his (and Judy's) protests. Tucking the alarmed fox under one arm, the enormous Cape buffalo stumbled toward the dance floor. "Tonight, WE DANCE!"

* * *

If she could bear to open her eyes, Judy would've glared hatefully at the sunrise that dared to fill the entire bedroom window. She briefly contemplated getting up to close the blinds, but was certain that if she tried her head would fall off, roll across the room and explode.

Cheese and crackers, why did she have to be on shift that day?

As she lay there, idly wondering if it was possible to die from a headache, the notion suddenly popped into her head that her bed didn't face the window - and that her sheets didn't smell like lilacs. "Where...?"

Reluctantly cracking one eyelid, she peered around for any sign of her partner.

"Nick." She croaked. "You here?"

"Hm?" Came the muffled response. "What?"

"Where are we?"

"We are..." The fox's head appeared at the end of the bed, opening one bloodshot eye to investigate his surroundings. "...at my place."

"Oh. What happened last night?"

A ghost of a smirk danced across his face and he climbed up from the floor. "I rocked your fluffy little world?"

"Not funny." She grumbled. "Ahh! Where are your pants?"

"It's _my_ apartment, Carrots." He countered. "Where are _your_ pants?"

 _Good question_ , she thought, pulling the sheets higher as she tried not to think about the heart-print boxers her partner was wearing.

Flopping down beside her, Nick furrowed his brow in concentration. "I remember...lots of alcohol...Karl and Donald breaking a table while arm-wrestling, and...break dancing? Yeah, I'm pretty sure the evening featured break dancing."

"Oh no!" Groaning, she yanked the sheets over her face. "What if we embarrassed ourselves in front of everyone?"

Nick smiled sleepily. "If we did, it was probably worth it."

"This isn't a joke!" She snapped, regretting it immediately as she clutched her head in pain. "Owwww..."

"That's enough of that." He reached out and pulled her into his chest. "It's seven-thirty and we don't start till three, which means it's time for the soft little bunny to go back to sleep."

Indignant, Judy grumbled and squirmed half-heartedly. She eventually decided that, although she _absolutely_ could have fought her way out of her partner's arms, she would _choose_ not to. After all, he was all warm...and his steady heartbeat was so soothing...she was so tired...she might as well...y'know, just for a minute...

* * *

Several hours of unnecessarily bright sunshine later, Nick awoke to find that the apartment had become uncomfortably warm. Slowly opening his eyes, he first focused on his bone-dry nose, then outward to the rest of the room. Squinting at the clock, it took his struggling brain a few seconds to figure out that it was almost noon. Letting out a faint groan, Nick sat up and swung his legs off the side of the bed, reaching over to shake his partner's shoulder. "Wake up, fluff."

"Ugh. Oh _god.._." Judy tried to fight off the offending paw as she covered her eyes with one ear. "How do I feel _worse_ than I did this morning?"

"Carrots, I'm pretty sure we were still half-drunk this morning. It's not going to get any better, though." He gave her another shake. "Come on. Hop to it, Officer Hopps."

"I'm not getting up." She groaned, valiantly trying to burrow under his pillows. "My head hurts and I'm sure I made a fool of myself last night. Everything is ruined forever!"

Rolling his eyes, Nick stood shakily and made the eleven-step journey across his tiny apartment to his tinier bathroom. On the return trip he glanced at the kitchenette counter, noticing two large glasses of water, a small bottle of aspirin, and a note written on an O'Hoggin's napkin.

 _Drink up! Time for another day of making the world a better place! Also, you two are SOOOOOOOOO adorable! -Ben_

"Damn sober cheetah..." He muttered, before he gratefully washed down a half-dozen pills. Carrying the other glass over to the bed, he eyed the small pile of blankets that concealed his miserable partner. With an unusually soft smile, he reached down and gave the pile a gentle poke. "C'mon Carrots, we're gonna have to go into work eventually."

"Can't we just call in sick?" She whined.

"Right. After last night, I'm sure _everyone_ will believe us if we call in sick." He chuckled. "How about this? You search for those elusive pants, and I'll make us a couple of sandwiches for lunch. Sound good?"

"Sandwiches!" She cried, sitting up so quickly that she almost knocked the water from his hand. "I love sandwiches!"

Startled, he gawked at the suddenly sharp-eyed bunny. "What the hell, Carrots?! It's just bread and lettuce."

"No! Don't you remember? We talked about it last night!" She grasped the front of his t-shirt and pulled him closer. "We _both_ love sandwiches!"

Gazing into her eyes, Nick could practically _feel_ the gears in his head turning; fractured memories of the previous evening slowly coming together to form a picture of... "Oh my god... We _do_ both love sandwiches."

His paws, which had somehow found their way to her hips, drew her nearer until they were practically nose-to-nose. Their eyes fluttered shut as their lips brushed togeth...

"Wait!" Nick pulled away, drawing a faint whimper from his partner. "Just so I'm clear, the whole sandwiches thing is about us being in love, right?"

Judy stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

"Heh...gotcha." He grinned, pulling the bunny close once more and capturing her lips in a long-overdue kiss.

* * *

The next few hours passed about as smoothly as they could have. The joy of admitting their feeling for one another had been wonderful, but short-lived. It didn't take long for their bodies to remind them that they felt like garbage, and from there it had been a struggle just to get themselves cleaned up and ready for work. They'd had to leave earlier in order to pick up Judy's uniform from her apartment, but she'd thought the extra time on the train was worth it for the opportunity to sleepily rest her head upon Nick's shoulder.

They'd arrived early enough for Judy to make it to their shared desk space, where she'd begun to look for the small bottle of aspirin she kept there. Halfway through her search, however, she'd discovered how wonderful the desk's cool surface felt against her forehead and decided that warranted further investigation.

"You alright there, Carrots?"

Slowly lifting her head from the desk, she gazed up at her partner pitifully. The slightly haggard-looking fox peered back down at her, sunglasses still firmly in place. "No. No, I am not."

"My poor bunny." He smiled and handed her a small cup from the coffee shop across the street. "I got you some of that herbal tea you love."

"Thanks, Nick." She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing gently. "You're a good partner."

Stepping back, she glanced around the bullpen to confirm that their fellow officers had already gone to roll call, then grabbed the fox's tie and pulled him down for a brief kiss. "And you're a good boyfriend, too."

"I try." He smirked, gesturing behind him. "C'mon. Time to face the music."

Cups clutched protectively in their paws, the two of them shuffled miserably into the briefing room. Glancing around, it was clear that they weren't the only ones suffering the consequences of the previous night; most of their fellow officers looked half-dead at best.

Bogo stood at the front of the briefing room, though it was uncertain just how much he was relying on the podium to stay upright.

"Last night..." He paused to take a slow, deep breath. "...some mammals may have said or done things that they might otherwise not have. Others may have seen or heard things they were not meant to. I'm not going to single anyone out, but suffice to say some questionable decisions were made."

Nick's posture stiffened and Judy wished with every fiber of her being that she could just melt into the floor.

"For this precinct to operate smoothly, it is essential that we maintain the utmost professionalism; both in the public eye, and amongst ourselves. Doing so occasionally means having to put one's personal feelings aside."

Her already rapid heartbeat sped up and she fought the desperate urge to reach over to grasp Nick's paw.

"With that in mind - and because it is clear that none of you are in top condition today - I am prepared to authorize all second shift officers to take today as a paid sick day. Officers from the first and third shifts have already been cleared to take as much overtime as is needed to cover patrols. This sick day is available on a single condition. One that you must _all_ agree to." A low murmur floated about the room as the buffalo leaned over the podium, the dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes doing nothing to diminish the fearsomeness of his glare.

"For the rest of your lives, none of you shall _ever_ speak of the break dancing."

* * *

 **Public Service Announcement** : Please drink responsibly and exercise due caution when offered free alcohol by family, friends, enemies, frenamies, acquaintances, coworkers, employees, strangers, that person you just met but already feel you have, like, a real _connection_ with, and any police officers / former moonshiners (rabbit or otherwise).

On an unrelated note, I appear to have started shipping Wolford & Fangmeyer. I blame Zanrok. You should go read The Conspiracy, then we can blame Zanrok together.


	18. Wrapping

**[IMPORTANT(ish) NOTES AT THE BOTTOM! VERY NEWS! SO ANNOUNCMENT! MUCH IDEA!]**

* * *

 _He almost didn't have the heart to point out that carrot-themed wrapping paper kind of defeated the point of exchanging Secret Santa gifts._

* * *

Nick eyed the small orange-wrapped package under the tree, surprised that his partner would be so overt. She had to know that virtually every officer present was eyeing the carrot-coloured box expectantly, each one of them hoping that she'd drawn their name from the hat.

He was perfectly aware of the reputation she had earned over the last three years as the greatest Secret Santa gift-giver in the history of Precinct One. The rabbit had taken part in three exchanges, and all three times Judy had knocked it out of the park.

Although Nick had been attending the academy at the time, he'd heard the story of Judy's first Christmas at Precinct One. The general assumption was that she'd drawn McHorn's name from the hat, though she'd never admitted it outright. When the Christmas party finally came around, the stern-faced rhino opened his plainly-wrapped gift to reveal two season tickets to the National Ballet of Zootopia. More than a few officers had visibly winced as McHorn stared at the tickets blankly. Then a slow smile began to spread across his face, growing into a grin and finally giving way to thunderous laughter.

"Oh damn!" He roared. "I don't know which one of you is responsible for this, but you really saved my hide!"

Unbeknownst to his fellow officers, McHorn's wife had been none-too-subtly implying that she wanted the very same tickets for Christmas. By the time he'd finally picked up on the hints she'd been dropping, however, the season tickets had been entirely sold out. Though no amount of cajoling could get Judy to admit she'd been the gruff rhino's Secret Santa, the distinct bounce in her step for the rest of the evening made it relatively easy to figure out.

The real mystery was how the bunny had known what to get, particularly since no one had known about the rhino's predicament before that evening. Rumors bounced around, theories were formed and dismissed, but no answers were uncovered. It was eventually decided that the bunny had made a lucky guess.

Although Nick had been a part of the Precinct One family for several months when the next Christmas rolled around, he'd only really gotten to know a few of the mammals he worked with. So when he drew Higgins' name from the Secret Santa hat, he'd been at a loss for what to get for the hippo. He'd ended up going the safe route with a gift card to a popular herbivore restaurant. Higgins had smiled politely when he opened it and offered the customary 'thank you' to the gathered officers, but Nick had still felt just a little disappointed with himself.

For his part, Nick had opened his own newspaper-wrapped package to reveal a plastic pawpsicle maker – the kind you put in your freezer at home – and a bright pink t-shirt emblazoned with _Everyday I'm Hustlin'_. He'd laughed along with everyone, especially when he noticed his partner's playfully innocent expression. "Gee... who could _possibly_ be responsible for this?"

Clawhauser shooed the fox back into the crowd, the white pompom of his Santa hat bouncing as he rushed to grab the next gift. The box he selected was the definition of nondescript. Wrapped in light beige paper, it bore a simple computer-printed label.

 _To: Officer Sofia Fangmeyer  
From: Santa Claws_

The tiger had held the box to her ear and given it a playful shake, then set her claws to work on the wrapping. The bland paper came off to reveal a dark plastic container, tightly sealed with several layers of packing tape. Peeling the tape away, she pulled back the lid to reveal a dozen small tins.

She'd carefully lifted one of them from the box. Small pranks had been part of the precinct's Secret Santa right from the beginning, and she'd been rightfully wary of a potential trap. But when she popped the lid off with a playful cringe, the mammals nearest to her were treated to the smell of an enticingly unfamiliar spice. The tiger had stared at the tin in her paw, an astonished expression on her face. Then she'd held it to her nose, drew in a deep breath and begun to purr softly.

It had taken a few moments to regain her attention, but eventually she'd explained that each of the small tins contained a different cooking spice from the Eastern Federation. Her mother had lived there before she emigrated to Zootopia, her grandparents still lived there and - on the rare opportunities she had to visit them - her grandmother always cooked these elaborate meals with all kinds of mouth-watering spices. Fangmeyer had always wanted to bring some of them back with her, but they were virtually impossible to clear through customs and she'd never been able to find them in the city.

The tiger had spent the rest of the evening trying to subtly sniff each mammal at the party, searching for any clue about her gift giver's identity. She'd eyed Judy suspiciously as she'd wandered past, but said nothing. Once she was out of earshot, Nick had leaned in closely to whisper in the bunny's ear. "She's wasting her time. If it had been me, I'd have wrapped and sealed it up weeks ago to keep the smell hidden. Probably while out of town, just to be sure."

She'd smiled softly; not her usual grin, but the little one she saved just for him. "Why Nick, are you implying something?"

"Of course not." He'd nudged her playfully. "On a completely unrelated note, how was your visit home last month?"

"Totally uneventful."

"Well, that's good."

He'd never gotten his partner to say anything more on the subject, and the tiger's santa seemed to have covered their tracks pretty well. Even so, if it _had_ been Judy, Nick suspected she might have slipped up somewhere. Perhaps left behind some clue or missed some tiny detail. What else could explain the small tin of delicious spice cookies sitting on their shared desk every Monday morning?

Judy's third Christmas was a bit more enigmatic and – in some ways – far more astounding.

The bunny had enthusiastically reached her paw into the drawing hat, but when she read the small slip of paper her expression (and ears) fell instantly. The precinct's rumor mill had gone into immediate overdrive, but the majority of officers refused to share what name they'd drawn, making it nearly impossible to guess who Hopps had gotten.

When the night of the precinct holiday party arrived, everyone watched with rapt attention as each gift was opened. For his part, Nick had gotten lucky. He'd pulled the name of a forensics technician who'd proceeded to quit a week later. None of the gifts seemed to stand out as the pile grew smaller. Finally, to everyone's disappointment Clawhauser revealed the last gift from beneath the brightly lit tree - a small envelope marked:

 _For Chief Bogo, from Officer Santa_.

It was a long-standing tradition that the Chief opened his gift last, and he accepted the unremarkable envelope from Clawhauser with a wry smile. It wasn't much to look at and most of the mammals present assumed it was just a gift card. That was something that Bogo almost always received and had long since grown accustomed to. Even he recognized how difficult it could be to purchase a gift for one's superior.

Tearing the envelope open, he withdrew a simple holiday-themed card and opened it. His brow furrowed for a moment as he read the card's message, then the entire room watched in awe as the buffalo's features lit up with joy. It had taken him a moment to regain his composure, after which he'd cleared his throat and offered a faint, "Thank you."

No one ever discovered what had been written in that card, and by this point Judy had gotten much better at playing it cool. She didn't give anyone the slightest reason to suspect her that evening – but it didn't escape anyone's notice when she and Nick managed to avoid parking duty for the entire year that followed.

This year would be Judy's forth holiday party at Precinct One, and the air was rife with anticipation. Whichever name she'd pulled at this year's draw, she hadn't given away the slightest reaction. Judy had actually come to him for advice on keeping a straight face, and although Nick was strangely proud that she'd thought of him, it left him all the more disappointed when he spotted the bright orange wrapping under the tree. For god's sake, it even had a green bow on one end.

Shaking his head, looking over to where he spotted Wolford. The wolf was sitting almost perfectly still, ears upright as he stared intently at the collection of gifts. The fox wandered over and took a seat beside his friend. "Hey buddy."

One of his ears angled slightly in Nick's direction. "Hey."

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Sure."

He gestured toward the brightly wrapped pile. "So, any theor..."

"It's got my name on it." Wolford interrupted.

"What does?"

" _That._ " He twitched his muzzle toward the offending orange box. "But it's a trick. It has to be."

"Huh?"

"A feint. A ruse. A red herring."

"Have you been drinking?"

"That's beside the point. She's messing with me, man. She's trying to get in my head."

"Wait, are you... are you talking about Carrots?"

"It's so devious..." Wolford muttered, glancing at Nick. "Every year, her gift has been plainly wrapped. Last year it came in one of those envelopes from the front desk! Why would it suddenly be so _obvious_?"

"You might be reading too much into this."

"Maybe." Wolford turned, staring at the fox with suspicion. "Or maybe she sent you here to say that."

"Okay…I'm gonna go over to the bar." Nick stood and slowly backed away. "Feel free to come hang out when you're finished being crazy."

Hastily putting some distance between himself and the wolf, Nick cast his eyes around the room in search of his partner. It didn't take him long to spot her sitting near the bar. Sidling up behind her, he hopped up onto the stool and graced her with his trademark smirk.

"So, Carrots, it seems that your mission to drive Wolford insane is coming along nicely."

"What?" Judy laughed. "What are you talking about?"

He gestured toward the anxious canine hovering near the tree. "He's convinced that you're intentionally messing with him. Toying with his fragile psyche. For shame, Officer Hopps."

"I am not!"

"Oh, really?" He peered at her curiously, gesturing over his shoulder. "Because you're not exactly playing it close to the chest over there."

"I have no idea what you mean."

Sighing, he placed his drink on the bar and turned to face her. "Says the bunny who wrapped her gift to look exactly like a carrot."

"Did I?" She asked innocently. "I don't think I did. I sure hope no one gets the wrong idea."

He hummed vaguely, letting his eyes drift over the crowd. "So tell me, what _did_ you get for the lucky mammal this year?"

"It's called a Secret Santa, Nick. Emphasis on _secret_." She chided him gently. "Besides, how do you know I didn't pull your name?"

Nick chuckled, rolling his eyes lightly. "Don't try to psych me out, Carrots. Wolford is one thing, but you'll have to do a lot better than that to get into _my_ head."

"Just give me time, Slick." She winked, taking another sip of her carrot martini. "Since you're asking, who do you think got _your_ name?"

"It's called a _Secret_ Santa, Carrots." His imitation of her voice was less than impressive. "Besides, I'm not the focus of everyone's attention this evening."

She rolled her eyes lightly. "You don't know the half of it. I've lost count of how many 'subtle' questions I've had to dodge so far."

"That's what happens when you're here to grant one mammal their heart's desire." He threw his arms out to encompass the whole room, drawing an amused snort from the bunny. "To hear some of the other officers talk about it, you're basically magical."

"Come on, Nick. You can't just expect to have your heart's desire handed to you in a box. Sometimes you have to go and find it."

Nick turn back to face her, a curious expression on his face. He couldn't quite identify what it was that had piqued his interest, but there had been something unique in her voice; something that made his ears perk up and left his tail swaying happily from side to side. "What does that mean?"

Before she could answer, the music faded and Clawhauser's voice came piping out the speakers. All eyes turned toward the cheetah standing next to the tree with his traditional Santa Claws hat pulled over his ears. "Alright, everyone! You know what time it is!"

The various officers and support staff of Precinct One gathered round as Ben started passing out packages. One by one, each of them accepted and opened their own gifts. Some sparked laughter, others brought groans and eye rolls, and each one brought a smile to someone's face.

Having pulled Francine's name from the hat, Nick watched with smug amusement as she opened the small envelope to find a ten-visit pass to the Mystic Springs Oasis. It had been a calculated risk, but Nick was a natural gambler and was pleasantly surprised when the elephant just blushed slightly, thanked her anonymous Santa and tucked the pass into her pocket.

Even as all this was happening, however, everyone kept one eye on the mysterious flash of orange. The cheetah seemed to delight in picking up gifts _close_ to it, without actually selecting it. Finally though, after nearly all of the other gifts had been handed out, Ben finally picked up the eye-catching package and gave the label a quick glance. Feigning uncertainty, he glanced between the package in his paw and those that remained beneath the tree, pretending not to notice as Wolford's tail twitched impatiently. Eventually deciding he'd had enough fun, Ben turned and placed the orange-wrapped box in the wolf's paws.

Gazing reverently at the gift he'd been handed, Wolford slowly began to unwrap it. The first layer fell away, uncovering a slim aluminum case. Releasing a small clasp on the side, he opened the case to reveal a simple card. A slight hush fell over the room as the other officers leaned in, the air practically crackling with anticipation.

His paws trembled slightly as he slowly opened the card to discover…a Buga-Burger gift certificate and a hastily scrawled note.

 _PSYCH! Merry Christmas, cricket-breath! - Santa_

"Oh, what the _hell?!_ " He yelled, holding up the gift certificate for all to see. Realizing that the wolf had been duped, the sounds of amusement began to ripple through the crowd.

"It's not funny!" He announced over the laughter of his fellow officers. "I'm gonna find whichever one of you is behind this! There _are_ going to be consequences!"

"Alright, alright." Gently pushing the indignant wolf away from the tree, Clawhauser coughed loudly to recapture everyone's attention. "While Officer Wolford is plotting his revenge, we're just going to move on to the next gift. I'm pretty sure this one is for Wilde."

"Pretty sure?" Nick asked as the smiling Cheetah handed the gift over, raising an eyebrow when he turned over the printed tag. "Ah. I see."

 _To: Rockin' Fox  
From: Sneaky Santa_

Although it was large enough that Nick needed both paws to accept it, he was surprised by how lightweight it was. Placing it on the floor, he proceeded to strip the wrapping away as quickly as he could, tearing the last few pieces away with one claw.

Inside he found another box taped to the bottom, much smaller than the first. Lifting it up to the light, Nick examined it closely. It was only an inch wide; small enough to fit in his closed paw and visually unremarkable. "Well, this is underwhelming."

"Maybe there's more inside?" Clawhauser ventured as the other officers murmured softly to one another. "Good things come in small packages, right?"

"Only one way to find out." He quipped. Peeling off the thin strip of tape on one side, Nick had to use one claw to retrieve the tiny roll of paper within. He could feel the eyes of every mammal in the room upon him as he unfurled it cautiously and revealed the message:

 _Come and find me._

Nick had always liked puzzles, and now those well-maintained parts of his mind spun into action. It had taken him the span of a heartbeat to recognize the tidy cursive of Judy's handwriting. His eyes darted between the note in his paw, the now-empty box, and the curious faces all around him.

"Well? What does it say?" Clawhauser asked.

He scanned the room for any sign of his partner but, except for an empty martini glass on a nearby table, the bunny was nowhere to be found.

"It says...um..." Nick paused as he recalled the bunny's earlier comment, the last puzzle piece fell into place and his heart did a little backflip in his chest.

"Nick?"

An uncharacteristically earnest smile spread across his face and he felt his tail begin to wag furiously behind him. He stuffed the slip of paper into his pocket, sprinted toward the exit, and didn't spare his co-workers a second glance as he yelled back over his shoulder. "Gotta go! Merry...whatever!"

* * *

Bursting out the front doors of Precinct One, Nick looked around frantically for any sign of his partner.

"I'm over here."

His head snapped around to find her leaning casually beside the precinct doors. "Carrots, I...uh...hi."

"Hi, Nick." A tiny smile curled the corner of her lips. "So, am I in your head yet?"

"Oh...well..." He held up the slip of paper. "After what you said earlier...does this mean you...?"

"It means I'm _interested_." She emphasized, pushing herself off the wall. "I have been for a little while now."

"Interested...in me?" Nick cocked his head to one side as he tried to process this new information.

"Yes, interested in _you_." She laughed, stepping a little nearer. She was close enough that, if he wanted to, he could reach out and grab her.

And he really, _really_ wanted to.

"As in...y'know...interested _?_ "

Though she was more than a little amused at seeing the poor fox act so flustered, she was beginning to think she should have written more on that slip of paper. It was clear she'd have to make this very unambiguous for him.

"How about this? I, Judy Hopps," She pointed to herself. "Am interested in dating you, Nick Wilde." She reached out, placing her paw on his arm as a hint of nervousness appeared in her eyes. "And I'm really hoping that you are, too. Otherwise this is about to get _really_ awkward."

That finally snapped Nick of out of his trance. "No! I mean, yes! I am one hundred percent interested, too!"

"In me?" She teased, smiling brightly as the previously unnoticed tension vanished from her body.

He nodded his head vigorously for a few seconds, then froze as his brain caught up with his behavior. She laughed softly as he tried to recover his normally cool demeanor. "I mean...er...what I mean is, I can't really say that I'm surprised. Ladies can't resist a fox in uniform, you know."

"Okay, a little less interested now."

"C'mon, Carrots." He gave her his most charming smile and leaned over, bringing their eyes level. "You know you love me."

"I _like_ you, smarty-pants." Reaching out to tap him playfully on the nose, she giggled at the indignant snuffling sound he made. "Don't push your luck."

Nick let out an amused chuff of air. "I'd say all _my_ luck went toward you drawing my name out of the hat."

"I didn't."

"What?"

"I didn't actually draw your name." She shrugged. "I got Wolford."

"Seriously?" She nodded. "Then who pulled out my name?"

"The officer who traded me for Wolford's."

"Oh."

The pair stood in not-quite-awkward silence for a moment, neither of them really knowing where to take the conversation next. Judy coughed lightly, scuffing one of her feet against the pavement. "So...did you want to, y'know, go back inside?"

"Not really." He admitted. "Did you?"

"Not really." She winced as a thought struck her. "We're going to have so many questions to answer tomorrow."

"Let's not worry about it tonight, Fluff." He took her paw, and the pair began to walk in the general direction to the nearest metro station. "Right now, I'd rather just enjoy my Christmas present."

"You're right." She sighed, hiding from the cool evening air by nuzzling into his side. "Merry Christmas, Nick."

"Merry Christmas, Carrots."

* * *

 **Fun Fact** : If I'd actually stuck to my original publishing schedule (which I obviously failed to do) this glimpse would have been released on December 24th. Oh well, mid-May is _basically_ the same as Christmas, right?

 **IMPORTANT(ish) ANNOUNCEMENTS**

 **Production News:  
** **Tired** , **Air** , and **Mortal** are already finished and will be published just as soon as I'm done using them to stall for time. On the other hand, **Epiphany** is only about one-third complete and **Vote** is still in the earliest stages. I have _NO IDEA_ what to write for **Excitement** , so...

 **Calling All Authors:  
** In response to my vicious case of writer's block on **Excitement** (and because I don't want to publish some nonsense just for the sake of publishing) I'd like to invite any interested writer to take on that glimpse and show people what they've got! If more than one person is interested (I dare to dream), then I could even publish it as a separate anthology.

 **Roster Change:  
** The last two glimpses, **Guarding** and **Baby** , have switched places. This is because **Baby** was always meant to be, at most, a short vignette. **Guarding** is going to be a multi-chapter story, alongside **Sheriff** and potentially two others.


	19. Tired

_It was the worst thing she could have said to him. "I just… I just don't care anymore…"_

* * *

It would have been an exhausting day, but when you line seven of those up in a row it makes for an exhausting week. It had only taken four or five of those to become an exhausting month, and after twelve of those...you get the idea.

Their latest case had been a rough one – the violent murder of an ocelot shop owner, killed while walking home one evening. He'd been beaten to death in an alley just a few blocks from his house; the words **NO MORE PREDS** scrawled on a nearby wall with the victim's blood.

The victim's wife had been beside herself – and rightfully so - and Judy had come along at exactly the wrong moment. The rabbit had gone practically tharn at the ocelot's barrage of hateful insults, mostly blaming Judy and that damned press conference for the increase in anti-predator hate crimes.

It wouldn't have been so bad if Judy wasn't always so ready to believe it herself. It had been over three years now, but some days it was like the shame of those words still hung like a chain around her neck.

They'd closed the case that day, successfully linking the homicide to a recently emerged prey-supremacist gang. Once upon a time that might have been cause for celebration, but now it was just another in a long line of things that kept them both awake at night.

Now the two ZPD officers sat at the end of the bar, not-quite-celebrating once again reaching the 'exhausting year' milestone. The fox silently peered into his double-whiskey as the bunny rested her head in one paw, idly toying with a small paper umbrella.

Throwing back the last of his drink, he stood and stretched his back.

"C'mon, Carrots. Tomorrow is a brand new year." He laughed tiredly, holding out his fist. "Ready to make the world a better place?"

She eyed his outstretched paw for a moment, then returned to her drink. "No."

He gave her a confused look. "What?"

Laying her head down on the bar, she muttered something he'd never believed he'd hear from her - the worst thing she _could_ have said to him. "I just… I just don't care anymore…"

"Hey now, Carrots. That's quitter talk." Concerned, he sat down again and lay a tentative paw on her shoulder. "You doing alright?"

She shook her head, clearly fighting tears.

"C'mon, Judy. Talk to me."

"I...I don't think I can do this anymore." Her voice hitched slightly. "Every day it's the same thing; get up, breakfast, see horrible mammals do horrible things, lunch, more horrible things, go home late, sleep, repeat."

"But that's why you became a cop, isn't it? To help put horrible mammals behind bars?"

"No, I became a cop so I could help make the world a better place; not so I could watch it go to hell."

Nick's heart broke as she lowered her face into her paws and began to cry softly. He pulled the bunny into a hug, giving the top of her head a comforting nuzzle and silently wishing - not for the first time - that they were brave enough to let their friendship grow into something more. They both _wanted_ to; they'd even talked about it a few times, but those conversations always seemed to end the same way - with sad smiles and a resolution to come back to the idea 'when things calmed down'.

Things never calmed down, though, and the more they were exposed to the city's dark side, the more they needed each other to stay standing. Each of them clung to their partner like a lifeboat in a storm, unable to live without them but too scared to reach out for more. They were so terrified of losing the one thing they needed most that they'd just learned to live with constant longing in their hearts.

Eventually her breathing evened out and the tears stopped coming, though she didn't look any less worn down. He would've felt better if it just looked like she was dreading work the next day, but this wasn't dread. She just looked...defeated. As if she knew just how much pain lay before her and had already accepted it. His fearsome bunny didn't seem to have any fight left in her, and the sight of it shook Nick to his core.

He racked his brain for some way to grant her a short reprieve from the grind of police work, but coming up with something was proving to be more challenging that he'd have liked. If he forced her to take time off, she'd probably sit alone in her hole-in-the-wall apartment and worry about him. God knew that when he took a rare day off, he did the same thing.

On the other paw, even if he _somehow_ managed to arrange time off for both of them - which could be possible, if he spoke to the right mammals - he'd likely spend most of it preventing her from going into work to finish off some piece of neglected paperwork. The truth was that neither of them could really relax while the city was around...them...

A flash of inspiration struck, bringing a wry smile to the fox's face. "Alright, up you get."

She sniffed, but compliantly rose from her seat. "What?"

"Come on, Fluff." He threw her coat over her shoulders and guided her to the door.

"Nick, where are we going?" She asked wearily. The fox didn't respond, practically dragging her from the small bar and out on to the street. Pulling out his phone, he placed a call and set it to speaker.

Judy's eyes widened when Chief Bogo answered, the low rumble of his voice making it very clear how he felt about the late night call. " _What._ "

Suppressing the prickle of fear that crept down his spine, Nick gave Judy a cheeky wink. "Good evening, sir. I hope I didn't wake you."

"Wilde, if you are calling about anything less than the impending apocalypse..."

"Nothing like that, sir." Nick assured him.

Despite his implicit threat, Bogo knew the fox well enough to know he wouldn't have called without good reason. "Then make it quick."

"Sir," Nick paused, giving his partner a brief glance. "Do you recall that misunderstanding a while back? With Precinct Four?"

Judy's ears twitched curiously as the line remained silent for a moment.

"I do." The buffalo responded shortly.

"Then I'm sure you also recall how that whole situation was resolved." Nick continued. "And by whom."

"Of course I do, Wilde." The buffalo snapped. "What of it?"

"Well," The fox took a deep breath. "I'm calling in a favor."

Bogo grunted, but didn't seem surprised. "I knew this day would come. What's it going to be?"

"Three weeks paid vacation, starting now, no questions asked." Nick hesitated briefly. "For both Hopps and myself."

"I...see." Another pause. "Very well, I am a mammal of my word. Three weeks, effective immediately, and you understand this makes us even?"

"Of course."

Bogo grunted and ended the call without further comment.

* * *

Betty Lin wasn't expecting any more clients that evening. It was already late and although she'd drawn the short straw for that month's nocturnal shifts, there weren't many mammals that chose to visit a travel agency at eleven-thirty on a Tuesday night. That was why, when an exhausted-looking fox dragged an equally exhausted-looking bunny into the office, the panda felt justified in being a little surprised.

"Hello there." She rose to greet the pair as they shook the rain off their coats. "How may I help you?"

"Good evening." The fox responded smoothly. "What would you recommend as a relaxing destination getaway for a pair of jaded psychological burnouts?"

Despite being a little startled by his question, Betty smiled pleasantly as she reached for the stack of brochures on her desk. "Of course. Naturally, Pawaii is a traditional destination..."

The bunny shook her head, turning to the fox. "Too many tourists."

"I see. Well, arctic cruises are becoming increasingly popular with..." She trailed off at the fox's flat expression. "Or perhaps not."

She turned to her computer and tapped a few keys, pretending to look something up as she mulled the question over in her head.

 _Somewhere warm, relaxing, not too many mammals...romantic, perhaps?_

She peeked over her monitor, sizing the pair up with an experienced eye. They were obviously very close. Every now and again the fox's tail would brush against the bunny's legs, and although the rabbit's gaze moved around the office, one ear was always angled toward the fox. Altogether, Betty got the distinct impression that there was something simmering just beneath the surface.

 _Not together, per se. But maybe interested? Let's test the waters a little._

"Perhaps you would be interested in an all-inclusive resort?" She suggested, nonchalantly. "It is perfect for mammals who want to avoid any stressful planning. All your meals and activities together would be covered in the price of your room."

Betty watched carefully, gauging the pair's reaction. Sure enough, though each of them gave the other a brief questioning glance, neither raised an objection to her use of 'room' rather than 'rooms'. On the contrary, they continued to gaze uncertainly at one another.

"That...um..." The fox briefly hesitated. "That sounds..."

"Perfect." The bunny finished for him, the smile lighting up her features. "That sounds perfect."

 _Gotcha._

A real grin broke through the fox's cynical smirk, lighting up his features. "Y-yeah?"

The bunny nodded happily. "Yeah."

Suddenly feeling as though she were intruding on a very personal moment, Betty cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, there are a number of options available..."

"What about that one?" The fox interrupted, pointing at one of the many posters on the wall.

"That...is Isla Paraíso." Betty winced internally as she heard the polished sales pitch come out of her mouth. "A five-star all-inclusive island resort, just south of Bearmuda. Guests have their own seaside bungalows, and each bungalow has a personal valet who sees to the guest's needs during their stay. The entire resort is very private; I understand one can go for days without seeing another soul."

They both seemed particularly interested with that last part, and it pained her to see the shining hope in their eyes. She had, unfortunately, neglected to mention the utterly _absurd_ price tag that came with staying on Isla Paraíso.

 _I shouldn't have said anything. I should have changed the subject._

Naturally the cost was the fox's next question, and even though they were the only three mammals in the office, she discretely wrote the answer on a slip of paper and handed it to him. Unfolding it with some suspicion, his eyes bugged out at the figure.

"Each?!"

Betty nodded. Despite the pang of regret she felt for disappointing them, she forced her expression to remain impassive.

He turned to his companion - clearly about to make some remark on the subject – but fell silent when he saw her expression. The moment that look of disbelief had appeared on his face, the bunny seemed to just...whither. Eyes that had been sparkling with happiness were now downcast, her ears hanging limply behind her.

"It's okay, Nick." Sighing gently, she half turned to the fox. "It was a nice idea, but we should both head home."

"Judy, I..." The fox...Nick...trailed off.

"Roll call is at seven and I'd like to get at least _some_ sleep." She ran a paw over her face. "We'll just tell Bogo we changed our minds."

Betty's brow furrowed as a glimmer of a recognition appeared in the back of her mind. _It couldn't be...?_

"Excuse me..." They both turned to face her. "Are you...that is, would the two of you be Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps? The ZPD officers?"

"Recognized us, huh?" The fox sighed. "So which case was it? The Bearnstein kitnapping? The Tundratown Seven? The Nighthowler Crisis is always a classic."

"Oh no, nothing like that." She shook her head. "There was an incident last year, on the Borealis Bridge..." She hesitated, but the bunny... _Judy_ gestured for her to continue. "There was a young mammal...a panda...he was going to jump. You...you stayed and talked with him for two hours. You helped him step back from the edge."

Judy blinked, nodding slowly. "I remember him."

"That was my younger brother, Huan." She looked away, embarrassed. "He had been having some...difficulties. We did not support him the way we should have – the way _family_ ought to. But thanks to you we got a second chance."

Judy's eyes brightened a little. "Is he alright?"

"He is...better." Betty responded delicately. "He still struggles, but every step he takes now is a gift. He would not have had that without you. For that, my family and I can never repay you."

The pair seemed at a loss for words, smiling at one another with a mixture of pride and embarrassment.

"That's..." Judy finally responded. "That's what we do at the ZPD."

As she shook her head in wonder at the bunny's humble statement, Betty was struck by a wonderful idea.

"Just...wait. Please, just one moment." Turning to her computer, Betty began typing rapidly. After several minutes, her printer came to life. Collecting the still-warm sheaves of paper, she quickly sorted them and placed them in a large manila envelope. Smiling, she handed the envelope to the perplexed fox.

"What is this?"

"Your reservation papers and two first-class round-trip tickets to Isla Paraíso. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning."

"Our _what_?!"

"W-we can't just..." Judy stammered.

"Please, I insist." Betty responded firmly, holding up a paw. "I did not exaggerate when I said that my family can never truly repay you, but please let this represent a small fraction of our gratitude."

"I..."

"I sincerely hope you both enjoy your time in the Caribbean." The panda smiled warmly. "No one has earned it more."

"We will, believe me." Nick assured her, reaching out to take Judy's paw. "C'mon, Carrots. We need to pack."

"Thank you!" The bunny laughed as her partner practically dragged her out the door. "Thank you so, so much!"

As Betty watched the two of them leave, she briefly wondered how she would explain her decision to her boss. He wasn't going to be pleased – the vacation she'd just given away was worth more that she made in a year.

That was a concern for tomorrow, though. Fishing her cell phone from her bag, she dialed a familiar number.

"Hello Huan. How is my baby brother?" She smiled happily at her brother's grumbling response. "Yes, I know how late it is, but you will never believe who just came into my work."

* * *

Two chapters in two weeks?! What is _happening_?!


	20. Air

_They said she was on the third floor… damn this smoke, I can't see a thing! Can't worry about that though, someone's cub is in here… gonna find her… can't let them down… gotta… find her… before-_

* * *

The low groan gives a half-second warning before the ceiling beam collapses; its deafening crack is briefly audible over the roar of the fire. But that half second is enough time – barely – to avoid being crushed.

 _...that was too close...can't waste any more time..._

The heat is overwhelming. The only breathable air, such as it is, exists in a narrow vein between the acrid smoke and the floor. Crawling on one's belly certainly isn't the fastest method of movement, but it's faster than running about twenty feet before passing out from lack of oxygen.

 _...where is she?!..._

It takes longer than it should to locate the right apartment and blindly crawl to the right room. Every deity that comes to mind is thanked when the cheetah cub is found. She's curled up beneath her bed, mewling fearfully and clutching a tiny stuffed beaver, pressed against the wall just inches out of reach.

 _...can't...need to..._

"Come on, kid." Desperate words push their way out of burning lungs. "I'm here to help you."

The cub's eyes snap open to fix on the unexpectedly nearby face and she darts forward, putting her trust in the uniformed stranger.

Take a deep lungful of semi-breathable air - the softly whimpering cub held close - and sprint from the room. Takes a few seconds to reach the next floor. Arrive just in time to see the stairs collapse into burning timber. Stumble back from the inferno. The only choice now is to take shelter in one of the empty apartments. It's a rough neighborhood, but for once that's a blessing; the heavy door slams shut and locks tightly.

 _...that should hold...I hope it holds...what now...think...think!..._

Run to the bathroom, grab the nearest towel and jam it in the toilet. Wrap the soaked material around the cub to battle the heat and press it to her small muzzle to keep the smoke out.

The apartment door begins to pop and groan as the fire chews away at it. The metal parts start to glow.

 _...so hot... hard to think...what am I going to do..._

Crying cub held close, half-blind eyes searching frantically for a way out. Flames have weakened the entire building - the cracks and groans of the failing structure are coming closer together now. Maybe, just maybe, one of the exterior walls might have been weakened enough to break through.

 _...no other way...need to find the right spot..._

A blue flash of light in the corner of one eye. Maybe a police cruiser's lights. The smoke makes it nearly impossible to say for sure.

 _...okay...that's the one...you can do this..._

"Hold tight, kid. We're getting out of here."

 _...square the shoulders...focus on the sweet spot...can't hit head on, might hurt her...it'll have to be the back...this is going to hurt..._

The room isn't very large, but it'll have to be large enough. Powerful legs drive them forward, pouring on the speed.

 _...have to go faster...only have one shot at this..._

Inches from the wall now. Twist at the last moment. The pain is excruciating as burning wood, drywall and insulation meet charging mammal. The choking ash and smoke is replaced by the smell of melting polyester and searing flesh. The weightless sensation of falling comes next, and it's admittedly nice not having to watch the ground get closer. Exactly three heartbeats later, the sensation of burning is compounded by a bone-jarring impact that sends air exploding from ash-stained lungs.

Look upward; there's no ceiling. No smoke or fire. The maddening heat is gone and the air feels exquisitely cool and clean.

 _...we made it...we're out..._

Above the cacophony of harsh yelling, wailing sirens and unholy roaring flame comes the beautiful sound of the cub crying. The smile comes unbidden; so does the soft laugh that follows. "That's it, stretch out those lungs. You've earned it."

Even through blurred vision, the paramedic's uniform is unmistakable. One set of paws lifts the cub away as others expedite the trip to the ambulance. The pain gives way to cold numbness. That's not a good sign, could nerve damage?

 _...chief always said I could use a little less nerve..._

Vaguely aware of being laid out on a stretcher.

Lose the fight against exhaustion.

Darkness.

* * *

Wake up in the hospital, and even with its horrid antiseptic smell and stark white walls, it's a relief. So is the furious itching coming from under the burn dressings. Itching is good; any feeling is a good sign.

The only sounds in this room are the tick of the clock on the wall and the steady snoring coming from the tilted chair beside the bed.

 _...sight for sore eyes...and sore everything else, too..._

The faint rasping of a half-scorched throat gives way to a soft whisper. "Hey...there...partner."

It's funny how the smallest of things can brighten your day, such as when one's partner jerks awake and frantically wind-mills their arms to prevent their chair from pitching over.

"You're awake!"

"Can't...get anything...past you."

"How're you feeling?"

 _...like I've been burned alive...itching like there are spiders under my skin...so very very afraid of how injured I really am..._

"A little overcooked." The pause is not quite long enough to be considered hesitation. "How do I look?"

"Fine." Her comforting smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. "You look fine."

"Lucky me."

"Lucky you?!" She suddenly scowls. "What the _hell_ were you thinking?!"

The doctor chooses that moment to enter, but her quick glance makes it clear that he hasn't escaped the question. "Good morning, Officer. Doing well today?"

The attempt at a casual shrug is accompanied by sharp pain and gritted teeth.

"Yes, you'll want to avoid that sort of motion for a while."

 _...such timely advice...very helpful..._

"So, doctor." Trying to turn and face the doctor results in another, albeit lesser, flare of pain. "Am I going to make it?"

A noncommittal grunt. "I imagine you'll make a full recovery, despite your injuries."

 _...please please please please say it's..._

"Not too bad, then?"

"Not too bad, all things considered." The doctor agreed. "You were actually very fortunate."

 _...that's great...care to expand on that?..._

"Care to expand on that?"

 _...that's my girl..._

The doctor glances up at them, apparently unaffected by the sharp tone. "Well, the bad news is that you received multiple burns, ranging from moderate to severe, which will result in extensive tissue scarring and permanent fur-loss across your upper back and shoulders. Major nerve damage means the feeling won't be returning to several areas. We won't know which ones until you've healed up some."

 _...oh..._

The doctor flips through the patient chart for a moment. "On the bright side, the scarring should be easily concealable with regular clothing, and you've managed to avoid any broken bones or permanent muscular damage. All in all, not bad for a mammal that smashed their way through a burning wall."

 _...right...whose brilliant idea was THAT?..._

"I do have other patients, though, so if there's nothing else...?" He hangs the chart back at the end of the bed and doesn't really wait for a response before he strides out of the room.

"Well...some bedside manner _that_ was. I oughta go give him a piece of my mind."

 _...always so protective..._

A sharp knock comes from the door and they look up to see the Chief's vast form filling the doorway. "May I have a moment?"

"The doctor just left, sir. Maybe we should give him a little time to process?"

The hulking mammal's frown deepens. "I don't believe I was talking to you."

"It's alright, partner." Sitting up feels unbearable, but less so than slouching in bed in front of the Chief.

She hesitates. "I'll be right outside when you're done."

The door closes softly as the Chief stands next to the bed. He says nothing for a long moment. "How are you holding up?"

"I've..."

 _...never felt more pain than this in my life..._

"...been better, sir."

He isn't known for his sense of humor, but the brief grunt can almost be taken as a laugh. "I suppose that's fair to say."

A question bubbles to the surface, suddenly more important than anything else. "How's the cub? Is she alright?"

The Chief nods. "She's pretty shaken up, but thanks to you she's going to be fine."

The pain fades for a moment and gives way to a glowing sense of pride and accomplishment.

 _...that's what we do at the ZPD..._

"Well, I can't really stay. The press is having a field day with this one, but I wanted a chance to look in and see how you were doing." The Chief shakes his head.

 _...ugh...the press...please don't make me talk to those vultures..._

The larger mammal seems to pick up on the wish. "Don't worry – I'll keep them at bay for the time being."

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't mention it." He turns toward the door. "There is one last thing."

"Sir?"

For the briefest moment, a genuine smile appears on the rhino's face. "I'm very proud of you, Officer Bogo."

"T-thank you, sir." The young buffalo croaks, eyes wide with surprise.

"Take your time recovering" The Chief gives him an inscrutable look. "I have a sneaking suspicion that the ZPD isn't done with you yet."

* * *

I tried experimenting with a different writing-style here; sort of a half first-person, half narrative. I think I worked out alright.


	21. Epiphany

_It took her a year to realize how he felt about her. It took him two._

* * *

For almost a year, Judy had been so concerned with trying to keep her growing feelings under wraps that she hadn't even considered that Nick might feel the same way. The day she actually realized that _Nick_ loved _her_ as well, she was genuinely embarrassed that she'd missed the signs for so long. The way he reacted to any physical contact between them. The way he got protective when a suspect started getting aggressive. Even the way he always tried to be close to her when they were together, rarely straying more than a few steps away.

Excited that what she's dreamed of might not be as unlikely as she'd feared, but not wanting to come on too strong, she began dropping little hints to let him know that she was interested.

Sometimes when he said something funny, she'd laugh and softly run her paw over the fur on his arm, amused at the sight of his brain short-circuiting. Other times she'd 'accidentally' drop things and take an extra second to pick them up, usually turning around to catch her partner staring. He'd invariably get flustered and try to sell her some kind of excuse.

Her favorite so far was that he'd been appreciating her uniform's 'efficient design', and she'd somehow managed to keep a straight face when she offered to let him try it on. After he vehemently refused, she'd followed up by asking - in her very best 'innocent bunny' voice – why he didn't want to get into her pants.

He'd nearly choked to death on his coffee.

As time went by, though, eventually she stopped being amused by the whole situation and started getting annoyed. The playful flirtation had been fun for a while, but how clear did she really need to be?

He was a fox, for carrots sake! Wasn't he supposed to have a excellent sense of smell? She was pumping out enough pheromones that even the other officers had noticed. When she & Nick were on foot patrol, rabbit bucks were approaching her from _across the street!_

Finally, after several frustrating months, she came to a startling realization. Even though _she'd_ figured out how he felt about her, he'd somehow failed to realize it himself.

Stupid, handsome, oblivious, heartwarming, _dense_ fox!

Although she wasn't willing to give up on him, it had been almost a year now. As certain as she felt that he'd eventually gain the same insight as her, Judy had begun to wonder how long she was really prepared to wait for him. With a heavy heart, she even forced herself to acknowledge the possibility that nothing was ever going to happen between them.

Banishing those thoughts from her mind, she lifted her eyes from the small desk calendar to find the fox gazing at her from across their desks. "Something on your mind, Carrots?"

She shrugged. "Nothing new."

"Okay." He nodded, looking at her solemnly. "You know I'm here for you, right?"

"I know."

"All you have to do is ask." He insisted.

"Thanks, Nick." Tired as she was, she gave him a little smile. "I think I'm going to call it a night, though. There's nothing here that can't wait."

"No problem. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "See you tomorrow."

* * *

The following morning, Judy found herself sitting at roll call without her partner. Bogo hadn't come in yet, but if he arrived to find Nick missing, there would be hell to pay. Just as she was weighing the idea of going to look for the wayward fox, she was surprised to see McHorn step up to the podium. The rhino made no comment on either Chief Bogo's absence, nor about Nick's. He kept the briefing short and quickly handed out the day's assignments.

They were just getting up to leave when the door burst open, startling everyone in the room. An infuriated fox framed in the doorway, glaring at his partner. "You!"

"Nick?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" He growled.

"Tell you wha...?" An idea suddenly popped into her head. Could it be that he had finally, _finally_ figured it out? That after countless nudges, hints and clues, he'd finally realized what had been right in front of him all this time? She couldn't help the grin that lit up her features. "Well, it's about time! I thought you'd never figure it out!"

"About time?!" He stared at her in disbelief. "Was this some kind of joke to you?"

"No, of course not!" This wasn't going the way she'd planned at all. "I just thought it would be better for you to get there on your own."

"Are you kidding me? Did you just get a kick out of watching me walk around oblivious? Dumb fox, right? _Why didn't you tell me?!_ "

Whether it was the feeling of being caught off guard or Nick's angrily self-righteous tone, Judy's feelings of relief and joy were swept away by an overwhelming wave of repressed frustration. Leaping out of her seat, the bunny indignantly stomped the length of the table and got right in the fox's face. "Tell you?! I _did_ tell you, you idiot!"

"Like _hell_ you did!"

"Cheese and _crackers_ , Nick!" She pulled on her ears in frustration. "I practically spelled it out for you! If I'd dropped any more hints, folks in the _Tri-Burrows_ would have figured it out!"

"Hints? _Hints?!_ I can't read minds _,_ Carrots!"

"Well, _clearly!_ I can't believe it took this long for you to _finally_ catch on!"

"It was hard not to after the Chief just about tore my head off for not showing up!"

"That's no excus..." Her voice trailed off. "Wait...what?"

"You heard me! I would have figured you'd have had my back on that one, _partner_."

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Oh, are we back to that, now?" He stared at her incredulously. "The annual fitness test! Specifically, _my_ annual fitness test! Ringing any bells?"

Even as a cold lump of dread settled in her stomach, Judy felt as though all her blood had rushed to her face.

At least once per year, every ZPD officer had to complete a physical fitness test in order to re-qualify for patrol duty. For obvious reasons, she and Nick both had to schedule specialized tests. Doing so required permission and supervision from City Hall, the ZPD Union, _and_ their own chain-of-command – that is to say, Chief Bogo.

Both of their tests had originally been scheduled for the following week, but Nick's had been rescheduled to that morning at the last minute. How could she have forgotten to tell him?!

"Oh, _now_ she remembers!" He growled, seeing the realization in her eyes. "Well, the examiner, our union rep _and_ the Chief sure didn't forget. They arrived at the training field at six this morning, and apparently waited for _an hour_ before they decided I wasn't going to show!"

"Oh Nick, I am _so_ sorry!" She gasped.

" _You're_ sorry?! Bogo came after me the second I walked into the bullpen!"

"Let me talk to him! I'll explain what happened!"

"It's way too late for that, Carrots." He snapped. "Seems Bogo didn't _enjoy_ standing in the pouring rain at six am, so he's refused my request to schedule a new assessment. I can't re-qualify for field work until the next round of assessments, so enjoy patrolling alone while I spend the next four months _chained to a desk_!"

The fox spun on his heel and stormed out before she could muster a response, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

When she came across a problem, Judy was usually compelled to try and fix it - it was one of the qualities that made her such a great police officer – but she'd long since learned that when her partner was in a foul mood, the best way to deal with it was to give him a little space and let him cool off.

That was why, an hour later, she found herself walking tentatively into the bullpen, where it was easy to spot her partner sitting at their shared desk. Aside from Francine, who was quietly working at her own desk, he was the only other mammal in the room. Though he was facing away from her, staring out a nearby window, she had no doubt that he knew she was approaching.

"Hey, partner." She ventured softly. "Feeling a little calmer?"

Nick crossed his arms and muttered something under his breath.

"I brought you a Blueberry Blitz smoothie." She held up the icy drink with a tentative smile. "It's your favorite, right?"

He huffed, ears pinning back even further as he refused to look at her.

She lowered the smoothie with a sigh. Placing the drink on Nick's side of the desk, she glumly made her way around to the other side and hopped up into her chair. "Nick, I'm _really_ sorry. I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you about the reschedule, and I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I thought you were talking about something else."

A faint sound caught her attention and she glanced over to see Nick lifting the smoothie off the desk.

"It's okay, Carrots. You didn't do it on purpose." He paused to take a sip. "And I'm sorry, too. I still shouldn't have gone off on you like that, no matter how angry I was about us not patrolling together anymore."

"I'm not very happy about it either, Nick." She admitted, shuffling some paperwork around. "But it's just three months, and it's not as though we'll never see each other. It'll be over before you know it."

"Hm." He took another sip of his smoothie. "So, what _did_ you think I was talking about?"

She looked up at him curiously. "Huh?"

"Just a minute ago, when you said you thought I was talking about something else." He reminded her. "What did you think I was talking about?"

"Oh...I thought you were..." She cleared her throat awkwardly. She knew that this was the perfect opportunity to finally have the conversation she'd been waiting for, but for some reason she just couldn't get the words out. "It's not important."

"Seems pretty important to me, considering how upset you were."

"It's really nothing." She insisted. "I do have something important to take care of, though. So I ought to go take care of...that."

Nick watched, bemused, as his partner leaped from her seat and all but ran out of the bullpen.

"And off she goes again..." He turned to Francine and gestured in the direction Judy had gone.

The elephant turned and stared down at him incredulously. "Wilde, you cannot possibly be that stupid."

"Hey!"

"For the love of... do I need to dangle you upside down until the blood actually reaches your brain?" Francine leaned over to punctuate each word with a sharp rap on Nick's head. "She. Is. In. Love. With. You."

"Ow! Cut it out!"

"I'm serious, Wilde. That bunny has it bad for you."

"Gee, thanks." He shot her a withering glare. "Way to rub it in."

The elephant's mouth fell open, her expression one of utter disbelief. "You knew?! Do you realize that she thinks you love her, too!"

"Because I _do_ love her, thank you very much!"

"What?!"

"I said I do lov- _urk!_ " His response was cut off when the entire room unexpectedly turned upside-down and he suddenly found himself eye-to-eye with a particularly annoyed-looking elephant.

"Wilde, she has been waiting for you to make a move for months! Honestly, I think she's been subconsciously torturing you for _not_ making a move! Judy is an amazing mammal, Wilde, and your..."

"A fox." He interrupted, taking a half-hearted swipe at the trunk that held him aloft.

She blinked, then her features morphed into a scowl. "Oh, don't tell me you've got some kind of martyr complex going on here! What, you're not good enough for her because you're a fox?!"

"I'll have you know, _Francine_ , that I'm awesome." He snarked, indignantly jabbing a pointed claw toward her. "That being said, I'm an awesome _fox_ and male foxes _don't_ make the first move."

"Are you telling me that you have spent the last year fully aware that your partner is in love with you, and _you've_ been waiting for _her_ to make the first move?"

"Frustrating, but true. I can't figure out what the issue is. I mean, I think I've been pretty clear that I'm interested." He frowned. "Could you put me down, please? I'm getting dizzy."

The elephant ignored his request, actually lifting him a little higher. "Oh, she knows. She just thinks you don't know."

"That she loves me?" He asked, looking a little puzzled.

"No, you love her."

"I'm aware of that."

"But she doesn't know that."

"Wait...that I love her?"

"No!" She shook her head, swinging the fox back and forth. "I already told you she knows that."

"I swear to god, Francine. You need to put me down, because you've _completely_ lost me."

"What's happened is that she's..."

"Please don't explain it again, I'm begging you."

"I swear, you two are always making simple things harder than they have to be." She groaned. "I think it's time to get this nonsense sorted out."

"No, it's time to put the fox back on the gr..."

"Hold that thought." She interrupted, fishing out her cell phone.

Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut and began massaging his temples.

Rolling her eyes at the fox's theatrics, she pulled up a familiar contact and lifted the phone to her ear. "Daniel, it's Francine. This may seem weird, but I need you to do something for me, and I need you to not ask why..."

* * *

Judy had almost reached the female locker room, where she absolutely wasn't going to hide, when she heard someone calling her name. "Hopps! Hey Hopps, wait up a second!"

Turning toward the voice, she was surprised to see Wolford jogging up to her. "Hey, Danny. What's up?"

The wolf slowed to a stop, a slightly bemused expression on his face. "So, for some reason, I was supposed to track you down and remind you that mammals in the Canidae family are matriarchal."

"What? Why?"

He shrugged. "Beats me, but that's what I'm supposed to tell you."

"Uh...thanks?"

"No sweat." He walked away, giving her a friendly wave over his shoulder. "Seeya tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you then." The bunny considered his odd statement. _What was that about? Was he trying to tell me something? He said that someone else told him to say it, so was someone else trying to tell me something?_

Shaking her head, she resumed to course for the locker room. _What does it matter to me that wolves were matriarchal?_ _He didn't say wolves, though...he said Canidae. But the only members of the Canidae family around here ARE wolves...and one dumb fox, of course._

She was walking on autopilot now, brow furrowed in concentration. _Is that it? Is someone trying to tell me something about Nick? But if they are, why would I need to know that foxes are matriarch..._

Her paw froze an inch from the locker room door. _No, that couldn't be it. There's no way that HE'S been waiting for ME to..._

Judy spun on her heel and sprinted back to the bullpen, where she was surprised to find Francine holding her annoyed-looking partner several feet off the ground. Nick noticed her almost immediately, though, and her heart gave a little flutter when the irritation in his eyes changed to warm affection.

"So...um...hey, Nick." She began awkwardly. "What's up?"

"Carrots." He nodded, the corner of his mouth curling into a faint smile. "Nothing much. Just hanging out."

"Oh...oh, right! Francine, could you, uh..." She gestured for the elephant to put her partner back on the ground.

"I don't know, Judy. I'm not totally convinced that you two don't need adult supervision."

"I think we can manage."

The elephant eyed her dubiously for a moment, then placed the fox down and walked away. As she reached the door, she glanced back over her shoulder. "I'll just give you two a minute."

Scowling at the departing officer, Nick stumbled back to his desk and collapsed into his chair.

"So," Judy began. "I have something I want to ask you."

"Fire away."

"Okay, here goes." She paused. "No problem."

"Take your time, Fluff."

"Right. So, I was wondering if you'd maybe, you know, want to consider the possibility of going somewhere sometime?" She scuffed her foot against the floor. "With...uh...me? And you. Together, I mean."

He peered at her in confusion, head cocked slightly to one side. "I...what?"

"Sorry, I...What I mean is, would you like to, um..." She took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. "...go out sometime?"

The fox blinked at her.

"On a date." She added. "With me."

After three years of friendship, she'd thought she'd seen every one of Nick's smiles. There was the little one he got when they went to the movies, the warm one that seemed to live at his mother's kitchen table, the proud one he'd worn the day she pinned that badge to his chest, and the sneaky one that usually preceded some kind of mischief. And naturally, there was his regular day-to-day smirk.

None of them compared to the overjoyed grin that lit up his face when she asked him out. "Yes! _Finally!_ "

"What do you mean, fina-" She didn't finish before the fox pounced, lifting her off the ground. "AH! Nick, put me down!"

"Nope!" He laughed, jumping around happily.

Despite her attempt at being annoyed at him, it didn't take long for her to get caught up in his enthusiasm. As the tension and frustration of the past year finally eased away, she started laughing joyfully herself.

It took a few minutes, but he put her down gently, stepping back and taking a moment to collect himself. Leaning against his desk, he tried to look nonchalant. "I mean sure, I guess. I'll check my schedule, might have to move some things around."

She was about to roll her eyes, when a wicked idea popped into her head. With the same expression she used to intimidate suspects, she sauntered up to him, grabbed his tie and pulled him down till their lips _almost_ touched. Pausing, she held his gaze and listened as his breathing sped up. Then, with a coy smile, she exhaled gently and felt a little thrill when he shivered happily in response. "Somehow, I think you'll find time."

Before he could answer, she placed a quick kiss on the side of his muzzle and walked away, making sure to put a little extra sway in her hips as she did. She managed to maintain her aura of composure until she was out of his sight, but the second she was sure he couldn't hear her she began bouncing and giggling like a little kitten.

 _Oh, this is going to FUN!_

* * *

 _Three Weeks Later_

"Hey, Nick! Guess what!" Judy came bounding excitedly up to their workspace, an amused smile coming to her face when she found her fox face-down on his desk and muttering quietly to himself. "Up you get! I've got a surprise for you!"

The fox lifted his head to give her the most pitiful look she'd ever seen. "You're going to do the compassionate thing and put me out of my misery?"

"You've been on desk duty for less than a month."

"Yeah, but that's over a year in fox weeks."

She rolled her eyes. "There's no such thing as fox weeks."

"That's discriminatory."

"Do you want to hear the surprise or not?"

"Fine." He sighed, pushing his chair away from his desk and turning to face her. "Lay it on me."

"I talked to the Chief and explained why you missed your test. I think he liked that I took responsibility, and we came to a compromise. If you agree to go through the ZPD's remedial fitness training course, you can be back on patrol today."

"That sounds fairly straightforward." His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

"The training will be every morning, Monday to Friday, for the next six months."

"So, if I want to work with you again I need to spend half a year waking up even _earlier_ than usual, just for the pleasure of getting yelled at by some sadistic ZPD training instructor?" He grimaced. "You might want to work on those negotiation skills, Carrots."

"Funny you should say that, because your sadistic instructor is going to be me." She smirked.

"You? Bogo actually agreed to that?"

She shrugged. "It was pretty easy to convince him. I qualified as a physical training instructor before I left the academy, and having me do it means nobody's schedule needs to be changed."

"He's not worried that you'll go easy on me?"

"Do _you_ think I'll go easy on you?"

"Knowing your approach to exercise, I think I'm probably going to die."

"Oh, shush. It'll be fun." She assured him. "Of course, that's assuming you can deal with being bossed around by a female."

"I think I'll manage." Chuckling, he shut off his computer with a flourish and the pair headed in the direction of the motor pool. "Though I'm still not happy about having to wake up early."

"Look on the bright side." Hopping up slightly, she playfully bumped her hip against his. "It probably won't be so bad when you're waking up next to your instructor."


	22. Mortal

_"We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of a beloved comrade." As the priest addressed the assembled officers, Judy gazed indifferently at the closed casket. Beside her, she heard Nick choke back a sob as he wrung his own tail anxiously. She opened her mouth to offer some words of comfort, but none emerged. As the sounds around her began to fade and her vision was filled by warm and all-encompassing light, her last thought was to hope that her fox would be alright without her._

* * *

Judy hated funerals - especially when she hadn't been very close to the deceased. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to remember the name of the officer that had died. It left her feeling awkward and uncomfortable, and she found herself fighting the urge to leave. She didn't really _want_ to; she wanted to be there to support Nick - who was clearly very upset - but something told her that she just couldn't hang around any longer.

It'd be alright, though. They say absence made the heart grow fonder.

.

* * *

She didn't expect every officer to display what Nick called her 'absurd level of permanent enthusiasm', but the way everybody was shuffling around the precinct, it was a wonder that anyone got any work done. Case in point, it looked like Nick was in trouble again for slacking off on his paperwork. Rather than firing back with one of his trademark witty retorts, however, Nick just slumped his shoulders and accepted Bogo's reprimand in silence.

The buffalo trailed off in mid-yell. Stepping around his desk, he placed a hoof on Nick's shoulder and softly apologized for losing his temper.

.

* * *

Trouble seemed to be attracted to then like flies to honey. Even on seemingly normal cases they always seemed to end up in some sort of dynamic and harrowing situation. Consequently, Judy had grown accustomed to a life of semi-permanent quasi-fame. So, although she'd gotten used to ignoring her face of the front page of the Zootopia Gazette, for the life of her she couldn't remember what recent case could've caused such a stir.

Eventually she decided it was probably just the media blowing things out of proportion again. She only wished they'd used a better picture of her than her old ZPD headshot. Didn't they have anything more recent?

Sweet cheese and crackers, she'd have _posed_ for a new one if they'd asked her.

.

* * *

Every once in a while, either she or Nick (usually Nick) would forget to charge up their cruiser's battery. The electric motor was pretty efficient and Savannah Central was temperate enough that it was rarely an issue - they both preferred to patrol on foot, anyway. But if they were running the heaters in Tundratown or the air conditioner in Sahara Square...

Let's just say that it's pretty embarrassing having to call for a tow truck while you're still on duty.

She considered reminding Nick about that as they sat in their cruiser on the roof of the ZPD parking garage, turning to see him staring out the windshield and tightly gripping the steering wheel. It had been four hours since he'd powered up the motor and he hadn't even taken the vehicle out of park.

.

* * *

Office pranks were a part of life at the ZPD, and they actually went a long way toward relieving stress and breaking up tension. But even though she'd long-since accepted them, this was ridiculous.

At the very least, pranks were supposed to be funny. Not only was emptying out her entire cubicle _not_ funny, it wasn't even very creative. More importantly, half the fun of a good prank was seeing the surprise on the victim's face. How did they expect to catch her off guard when everyone in the bullpen kept glancing at her unoccupied desk?

.

* * *

Ever since she and Nick had moved in together, it had been a constant battle between his cleanliness and her tendency toward letting clutter build up. She blamed her upbringing, honestly. When you had almost three hundred siblings and _countless_ cousins kicking around, you couldn't expect _anything_ to stay in place for long. Why tidy everything away when it was practically guaranteed not to be there when you came back?

Looking around their apartment, she made a quick mental note to do some serious cleaning just as soon as the opportunity came up – if only for her boyfriend's sake. He'd been _such_ a drama queen about it lately. Every time he'd start to clean up her things, he'd only manage to move one or two items before he started crying.

.

* * *

He was doing it again.

Over the last couple of weeks, she'd gotten a little concerned that the stress of police work might be getting to Nick. She wished she could get him to talk about it. She'd tried broaching the subject, but she could never quite seem to find the right words.

So in the absence of some inspirational speech she just stood next to him, offering her voiceless support as he gazed thoughtfully at the pistol on the table.

.

* * *

It was _so_ frustrating - no matter where she looked, she just couldn't find her cell phone. She'd tried looking in all the usual spots. It wasn't by the door, though neither were her keys and scarf. She'd checked her bedside table, but it wasn't there either - even though everything else was exactly as she'd left it.

Nick kept sending her little text messages like ' _I love you_ ' and ' _I miss you so much_ ' and even ' _I'm sorry_ ' – probably so she could find her phone by listening for the beeping. It was sweet, but she'd rather he just got out of bed and helped her look for it.

.

* * *

Nick had a terrible habit of turning the heat up too high during their Tundratown rotations. She'd warn him that his winter coat wouldn't grow in properly, and she'd be right every time. Even so, since they'd gotten together she'd had no problem acting as his personal nighttime heater.

He must've been particularly bad about it this year, though. Her poor fox, curled up in the middle of their bed and trembling like a leaf. She tried to help him warm up, but she must not have been warm enough.

It seemed like the more she held him, the harder he shook.

.

* * *

Her uniform was one of a kind, designed especially for her. She was extremely proud of it and always did everything she could to take care of it. Her mother had taught her to sew years ago, so whenever possible she made time to take care of the basic fixes herself.

She preferred that option, since the only alternative was sending it to the ZPD Quartermaster's office for repair and that took _forever_. In the meantime, she'd have to wear her backup; the standard ZPD patrol uniform, which she was certain was about seven hundred percent polyester. Much as she hated it, though, she didn't really have a choice this time.

There wasn't much her little sewing kit could do about a hole that size.

.

* * *

"Judy, can you hear me?" Of course she could.

"This is...it's like I'm caught in a nightmare." And she'd always be there to soothe the bad dreams away.

"Please wake up, Judy. Please, _please_ don't leave me."

As if she'd ever leave him.

Silly fox.

.

* * *

As she walked around the corner, Judy felt a sudden pressure against her chest. The entire world tilted ninety degrees and it took her a second to realize that she was staring up at the sky.

She couldn't quite catch her breath. It reminded her of when one of her brothers had pushed her off the couch. She'd landed flat on her back and had the wind knocked right out of her. It had taken her a moment to get her breath back, after which she'd shown that brother (Seth? Owen, maybe?) who the _real_ king of the castle was.

Suddenly, Nick's face filled her view.

It looked like he was saying something, but she couldn't hear him over the ringing in her ears.

He seemed really upset.

Had his fur always been that shade of red?


	23. Vote

_"So," said Bogo, "who thinks I should skip assigning parking duty today?" Every paw in the bullpen went up. "Well, it's a shame this isn't a democracy, now isn't it?"_

* * *

Shuffling a few papers on his podium, the buffalo removed his reading glasses, placed them in his shirt pocket, and regarded the room full of anxious officers as they waited for him to hand out Precinct One's most mind-numbing and soul-crushing job. "Now, let me see…"

Usually there would be _someone_ on the 'naughty list' who would jump on that grenade for the rest of the squad, but things had been going almost unnaturally well lately. This meant that, in the absence of a valid reason, he'd have to go looking for one.

As a result, any one of his officers could find themselves paying for some minor transgression they'd believed - or rather, hoped – had gone unnoticed.

"And the winner is…" He let the tension build for a few more minutes before he dropped the axe. "Officer Wolford."

"What?! Why me?!" The lupine officer blurted before he could stop himself.

"Insubordination." Bogo answered succinctly. "Specifically, insubordinately questioning your assignment to parking duty. Dismissed."

Whining softly, Daniel Wolford dropped his head onto the table and tried to ignore the sound of his fellow officers shuffling out of the room. After a few moments of self-pity, he rose to his feet and dragged himself to the front desk to collect his 'specialized equipment.'

The moment Clawhauser saw Wolford approaching, he immediately recognized the aura of gloom that surrounded the wolf. Reaching under the desk, he retrieved a ticket printer, reflective vest, the keys to the 'MeterMobile' and of course, the...

"No."

The cheetah winced at the sharp tone. "It's not an option, Danny. Sorry."

The wolf shook his head. "Nope. Won't do it."

Clawhauser just shrugged and held out the infamous meter maid hat. "You know what happens if you don't wear it."

He _did_ know what would happen, too. An officer who failed to wear the hat while on parking duty would have to wear it every day for a month after, or else face a possible suspension. So, with a long-suffering sigh, Daniel lifted the hat from the cheetah's paws and reluctantly perched it between his ears.

"It doesn't look as bad as you think." Clawhauser reassured him.

"He's right." They both turned to the fox that had appeared beside them. "It actually looks way, way worse."

"Thanks, Nick. That's really great to hear."

"Motivation is my specialty, buddy." Nick smiled. "Feel like grabbing a beer after work?"

"I dunno, man. The bills really took a bite out of my last pay cheque."

"Don't worry about it. I'll cover you."

Daniel resisted the urge to cringe at his friend's offer. ZPD officers were well paid, but there were times he really envied Hopps and Wilde. Despite being new officers and near the bottom of the pay scale, the relatively small amount of food and living space they needed meant the pair could stretch their pay a lot further.

"Sure, if you're buying." Daniel sighed, nodding. "I have a feeling that I'm gonna need it."

"Okay. Just remember to wear the orange vest. Ladies love the orange vest." Nick winked.

Rolling his eyes, Daniel turned away from the laughing fox and headed for the motor pool.

He didn't bother trying to squeeze himself into the electric cart that was reserved for parking duty. Short of removing a few bones, there was no way he was going to fit. Instead, he threw everything he'd need into a patrol bag and let dispatch know he'd be headed out on foot. The precinct record for citations issued in single shift was unquestionably held by Hopps; a staggering three hundred and eighty-seven, with a rumor that she'd issued the first two hundred before noon. Daniel, on the other hand, was just aiming for a respectable one hundred.

Stepping out into the bright sunshine, he slipped his sunglasses on and tried to think positive thoughts. "Maybe this won't be so bad."

* * *

Several hours later, Daniel found himself dealing with the eighth temper tantrum that day.

"You're just another jackboot tryin' to squeeze some money out of a law-abiding mammal!" The overweight boar screamed, waving the parking citation in the air. "I'm not paying this!"

"Sir, if you'd like to contest your ticket, you'll have to do so in traffic court. You just have to call the number on the back and arrange a hearing."

"You and your traffic court can go to hell! This is speciest oppression, plain and simple!" Balling up the ticket, the boar threw it at the bored-looking officer and stormed away.

Rolling his eyes, Daniel continued down Palm street and tried not to dwell on the latest barrage of verbal abuse. Part of him itched to turn around give the porcine asshole a piece of his mind, but at the end of the day it wouldn't solve anything. It was far more likely to make things worse.

It wasn't the insults or threats that made law enforcement so challenging; it was keeping a level head when all you wanted to do was lose your temper. It didn't sound too difficult when you heard it, but before he'd joined the ZPD Daniel never could have imagined how exhausting doing nothing could be.

As he turned the corner onto Fifth street, the wolf was so focused on checking the meters that he didn't notice the mammal sitting on the sidewalk - right until he almost stepped on them.

"Hey! Watch it, Danny!"

"Huh?" Snapped out of his brooding, he shook his head and smiled down at the grubby-looking jaguar. "Sorry, Dave. Didn't see you there."

"S'alright." The feline assured him as he peered at the peculiar headwear. "What's with the hat? You, like, a mail carrier now?"

"No, just playing meter maid for the day. You been keeping out of trouble?"

"Yup. Well, as much as I can be considering...y'know..." He gave the wolf a conspiratorial look. "... _them._ "

Fifth Street Dave was a regular sight in the Savannah Central district and was, despite his unwavering conviction that Zootopia was being systematically taken over by a race of parasitic brain-worms, about as well-respected as a homeless mammal could be. The jaguar rarely caused any kind of disturbance, opting to spend his days sitting at the corner of Fifth and Palm, enjoying the sunshine and trying to hand out flyers warning of the impending doom.

"Oh? And what are 'they' up to these days?"

"Ugh. _Another_ tax hike." Dave snorted. "Can you believe it? Like it's not enough to just strip us of our free will. That's why _I_ don't pay taxes. You shouldn't either."

"If only..." Daniel muttered. "So other than that, anything interesting going on?"

"Well, now that you mention it I did see...hang on." Grabbing a homemade flyer from the stack beside him, Dave thrust it emphatically at a passing oryx. "THE INVASION HAS BEGUN, BROTHER! IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO LIBERATE OURSELVES FROM THEIR MALEVOLENT TYRANNY!"

The oryx glanced uneasily between Dave and the nearby police officer. Daniel just rolled his eyes slightly, and gave the startled mammal a reassuring smile. As the oryx rushed away, Dave leapt to his feet and waved the flyer in the air. "FINE, BE THAT WAY! BUT DON'T COME CRYING TO ME WHEN THEY ENSLAVE YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS!"

"Easy, Dave." The wolf cautioned, taking hold of the jaguar's shoulder. "Bring it down a notch."

The homeless mammal at least had the grace to look abashed.

"Malevolent tyranny?"

"I found a thesaurus the other day. Is it too much? I still want to be taken seriously."

"I don't think it'll change how seriously mammals take you."

Looking relieved, the jaguar settled back to the ground and took a moment to check his overturned hat for any new change; finding none, he fell back against the wall with a sigh. A sudden pang of pity for the malnourished-looking cat prompted Daniel to pull out his threadbare wallet and retrieve a slightly worn looking Buga-Burger gift certificate. "Here. Get yourself something to eat."

"You're not going to use it?"

"No. I got it as a gift...sort of. It's a long story." Daniel chuckled. "You had something to tell me?"

"Right! So there's this plumbing van over on Seventh, right across the street from the...thing...um..." Dave snapped his claws a couple of times. "The place with the lines and the room with the money?"

"You mean the bank?"

"Right! The bank! Anyway, it hasn't moved in, like, three days. The van, I mean. Not the bank. Though I guess the bank hasn't moved in the last three days, either."

"Which one?"

"Which what?"

"Dave, there are about twenty banks on Seventh; it's right in the middle of the financial district. Which bank is the van in front of?"

"Oh, uh, the big one? The one at Seventh and Eucalyptus where all the hamsters work." Dave furrowed his brow in concentration. "What time is it? If it's almost five, there'll be this fox out front selling pawpsicles."

Daniel chuckled briefly. "Okay. I think I know the one you mean."

"Right. So, like, Magda was telling me that even though no one gets in or out, the meter is always paid up."

"Magda...Magda..." Daniel tried to place the name. "Wait, isn't she that llama who's always yelling at birds in the park?"

"That's her." Dave nodded. "She's not crazy, though. She just really hates birds."

"Naturally." He muttered, scratching his muzzle thoughtfully. "I'll look into it. Thanks for the heads up."

"No problem, Danny. Don't let the brain-worms enslave you."

"Right back at ya, Dave."

* * *

Although Daniel had skipped several expired meters on the way to the heart of Zootopia's financial quarter, he was certain that Chief Bogo would understand that it was for a good reason. He kept telling himself that he was following up on a potential lead rather than just ducking parking duty.

It didn't take him long to reach Seventh and Eucalyptus. Peeking around the corner, he easily spotted the van Dave had described. There didn't seem to be anything particularly suspicious going on – nothing he could justify calling in, at any rate. Even so, if it'd been parked in the same spot for three days then that meant _something_ was off.

The vehicle was about the right size for a mid-range mammal, mostly unremarkable except for the words 'Bobby's Plumbing & Drainage' emblazoned on the side. The plates and insurance tags were all up-to-date, and a quick check on his phone verified that it belonged to a legitimate business. Stepping closer, he glanced over the work permits lined up on the dashboard. They all appeared to be in order, indicating that the trades-mammals were there to fix a burst pipe at 1700-6904 West Seventh Street. Turning around, he regarded that very building - better known as the Lemming Brothers Bank.

The strange thing was, every floor above the fifth was specifically sized for rodents, so why would a van built for a mammal _his_ size be assigned to a repair job on the seventeenth floor? Glancing down to review the permit details, he was considering calling the business to verify the work order when he was interrupted by an unexpected shout.

"Hey, Meter Mutt! Their parkin' ain't expired yet!" The irate-looking moose gestured angrily at the still-paid parking meter.

"I'm aware of that, sir. I'm checking their work permit."

"Well, quit picking on the working mammal!"

"Sir, I'm only..." He trailed off as his ears caught a faint scuffle from the van's interior.

"You're only _what_ , Meter Mutt?"

The vehicle was silent again, but Daniel was certain of what he'd heard. Half turning toward the moose, he pointed one paw up the street as the other reached for his radio. "Move along, sir."

"Hey! You don't tell me what to..."

Pulling off the reflective vest back to reveal both his badge and his sidearm, Daniel leveled a glare on the suddenly quiet mammal.

"I...I'll just move along."

"Yeah, you do that." Daniel moved around to the back of the vehicle, ears alert and searching for another sound. Not taking his eyes off the van, he keyed his radio and spoke softly into the sensitive mic. "This is Officer Wolford. I have a 10-37 at 6904 West Seventh. Requesting backup to my location."

 _"_ _10-4, Wolford. Backup is on the way."_

"Copy." He responded shortly. Dropping his bag on the sidewalk, he paused to stuff the meter-maid hat inside. Then, smoothly drawing his taser from its holster, he grasped the handle on the van's rear door and threw the door open. "ZPD! Nobody move!"

Daniel suddenly found himself eye-to-eye with three very startled-looking coyotes in dirt-stained coveralls. A brief glance downward revealed that part of the van's floor had been cut away, exposing an open utility passage entrance and a fair amount of appropriately-sized tunneling gear.

However, it was the open bag behind them practically filled with twenty-five-thousand buck bearer bonds that really caught his attention - so much so that he was _almost_ taken off guard when one of the coyotes lunged at him. Hammer in paw, the audacious pup clearly thought he'd gotten the drop on the ZPD officer. A few seconds later, the smaller mammal found himself flat against the floor of the van with one arm twisted firmly behind him.

"That's about enough of that." Daniel growled. "You're all under arrest. Step out of the vehicle and keep your paws where I can see them."

He kept a close eye on the other two as he pulled a pair of flexicuffs from his belt, securing the paws of his would-be attacker before moving on to the other two.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and may be used against you in a court of la..."

"It doesn't have to go down like this, officer." The oldest of the three coyotes interrupted, peering at Daniel over his shoulder.

"You have the right to an attorney."

The coyote flicked his snout toward the bag full of bonds, as if to remind Daniel of their existence. "Lotta money, ain't it?"

"If you cannot afford an attorney." Daniel growled. "One will be provided for you."

"Lemme ask you somethin', _officer_. How many other times you been called a Meter Mutt today?"

"Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?"

"I'm just askin' you, is it worth it?"

"Sir, do you understand the rights I have just read to you?" He repeated.

"Tell you what...you let us walk away, and I'll make sure we drop a few bonds when we go. What do you say, huh? Imagine what you could do with that kind of money."

For a brief second, Daniel couldn't _help_ but imagine what he could do. Even one of those bearer bonds would be enough to pay for the much-needed repairs on his parent's home and still have something left over to put toward his sister's college fund. The idea was as enticing as it was shameful, and came with the momentary urge to introduce the coyote's face to the pavement.

"You have the right to remain silent, _sir_." Taking a deep breath, he lined the would-be robbers up against the side of the vehicle, double-checked the small flexicuffs that held the offending mammal's paws in place, and reached up to key his radio. "I strongly suggest you take advantage of that."

* * *

"Seriously, though." Watching as the three coyotes were escorted to processing, Delgato couldn't help but shake his head in amazement. "How in the hell did you stumble onto this one?"

"I didn't do anything special." Daniel shrugged. "I got a tip, followed up on it, kept my eyes open and listened to my instincts. The rigged parking meter was kind of a giveaway, though."

"Oh, is that all?" The lion rolled his eyes. "C'mon, man. Take a little more credit."

"He's quite right, Officer Wolford." The pair jumped as the Chief sidled up beside them; the buffalo was shockingly light on his hooves for a mammal his size. "You're to be commended for such excellent work."

"Thank you, sir."

"Even though you were on parking duty and your job was to write tickets." The buffalo added menacingly, peering down at the smaller officer. "And that - at the time of the arrest – you had deliberately _removed_ the mandatory headwear issued to all parking citation officers."

Taken off guard, the wolf turned to gawk at his superior. "W-what?! I didn't..."

"Before you say anything, ask yourself whether the traffic cameras will back up your story."

"But I...there were...it was a bank robbery!"

"Now, now. I'm not entirely heartless. I'm not going to make you wear the hat for a month." Bogo assured him. "You'll just be wearing it tomorrow. On parking duty."

* * *

No one... _no one_...escapes the hat.

 **Note:** I'd like to take a break from my customary radio silence to thank some folks: CasuallyCompetent, CombatEngineer, DrummerMax64, Erinnyes, Kittah4, Popopoyotl, Pyrophoricity, Robert Escher, and Transformers 0. Every complement, thought, criticism, suggestion and word of support has been priceless to me!

I'm also pleased to announce that Robert Escher - talented writer and fellow left-coaster - is going to be guest-writing a future glimpse, **Collect**. I'm excited to see what he'll have to show us!


	24. Excitement

_The moment he got that look on his face, she knew that trouble couldn't be far behind. But as much as she dreaded the inevitable consequences, oh sweet merciful cheese and crackers did her fox ever know how to apologize._

* * *

She knew that look too well; the half-lidded eyes and calm, flat expression that practically _screamed_ guilt. It heralded nothing but trouble, and it had been bad enough when she only had to handle it from Nick – it was even more disconcerting in stereo.

"Alright, fess up." She ordered the pair of foxes standing before her. "What have you two done now?"

Nick gave her an affronted look. "Carrots, I'm wounded. Why would you just _assume_ that we've done something wrong? Maybe we're just happy to see you."

The other fox shook his head in disappointment. "Are you saying that two foxes can't go out without getting into some kind of trouble?"

"No, I'm saying that _you two_ can't seem to go out without getting into some kind of trouble." She leaned forward and glared at the shorter (and in her experience, much more pliable) of the two foxes, putting on her best interrogation voice. "We both know I'm going to find out sooner or later, and I'll be a lot more lenient if you confess now."

The shorter fox's resolve seemed to briefly falter and he shot a quick glance in Nick's direction.

"She's bluffing." Nick assured his partner in crime, his calm posture never faltering. "She wouldn't be fishing if she had any evidence."

She took a moment to scowl at him, then refocused on her target and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "What's it going to be, Ethan? Confess now and I'll go easy on you. Force me to find out on my own and you'll be spending this weekend in the hole."

"What?!" The young arctic fox cried. "Mom, that isn't fair!"

She regarded her adopted son coolly. "Sometimes life isn't fair, kiddo."

"But it was an... _ow_!" He was cut off by a sharp kick to the shin, followed by Nick's attempt at nonchalant whistling. "Dad!"

"The hole has room for two, Nick." She warned her husband, watching his confident smirk vanish with some satisfaction.

"Okay, Carrots. Take it easy." Nick held up his paws. "I'd like to begin by saying that what we did was done in the name of science."

She crossed her arms, eying the pair dubiously. "This ought to be good."

"Well, Ethan's school is having a science fair and we were trying to come up with a project we could work on together. We couldn't think of anything, so we started cruising around the internet for ideas."

"And all we found were lame baking soda volcanos and models of the solar system!" Her son groaned.

"Right, but then we found this engineering site and Ethan got really jazzed about doing something involving internal combustion systems. Y'know, like an engine? But he wanted to do a different take on it."

"Totally." Ethan agreed. "So, we thought about who'd know a whole lot about engines and machinery, and the first name that came to mind was Grandpa Stu!"

"He was really excited to help, too." Nick added.

The younger fox grinned enthusiastically. "He told us about some of the other science projects he'd helped out on over the years. Then he told us about this one he built with Uncle Toby!"

From the back of Judy's mind, an old memory came rushing to the surface. "Oh no. Tell me you didn't..."

"It was perfect, Carrots! Totally a first-place winner! He even emailed us the plans."

"Well, he got Aunt Charlotte to email the plans for him." Ethan clarified.

"Seriously?" She swallowed the urge to laugh. "You two built a _potato cannon_?"

"It was awesome!"

"Plus, we had a great time building it. It was a real father and son bonding experience. Your dad's design was amazing, too." Her husband smiled. "Even better after we powered it up a little."

"Why would you..."

"We _had_ to!" Ethan insisted. "Uncle Toby said we'd never be able to beat his two-hundred-meter record!"

She sighed, giving in to her curiosity. "And?"

"Well, we took it out to the waterfront to test it– safety first, right buddy?"

Ethan nodded vigorously. "Right!"

"And we _did_ extend our range past two hundred meters."

"But...?"

"We _might_ have forgotten to account for the crosswind." Nick cleared his throat awkwardly. "Or for the possibility that someone might had parked their car about two hundred and forty-seven meters away..."

"What?!" Judy's amusement vanished in a heartbeat. "You hit someone's _car_?"

"Not exactly." Ethan answered hesitantly. "I mean, it absolutely _would_ have hit the car if, uh, the window hadn't been open."

"Sweet merciful cheese and crackers...tell me you didn't hurt anyone." Before either of them could answer, the cheerful tones of Judy's phone interrupted the conversation. As she pulled it from her pocket, she jabbed a finger in their direction. "You two stay right there. We're not done."

Looking down at her phone, she winced at the picture. "Oh, carrot sticks! I forgot I was supposed to meet Fru Fru for coffee. She's probably wondering where I am."

She was about to send the call to voicemail when Nick let out a choked whine. Glancing between the phone and her husband, Judy felt some very unsettling puzzle pieces fall into place. Locking eyes with him, she ignored his half-panicked expression and raised the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

" _Oh, Judy! I'm so sorry I stood you up!"_ Fru Fru Big cried. " _I couldn't make it today!"_

"It okay, Fru. What happened?"

" _Something awful! Just awful! Someone attacked Koslov down by the wharfs! They broke his nose and just ran off!"_ In the background, Judy could hear her friend's father shouting orders at his polar bear enforcers. " _He and Daddy are so angry!"_

"Did...did you say someone broke _Koslov's_ nose? As in Koslov, the thirteen-hundred-pound polar bear?" She shot her foxes a glare that could melt steel; her husband's ears pinned back sharply and her son let out a frightened whine. "How did they even..."

" _That's the worst part!"_ The shrew interrupted. _"They hit him right through his car's open window with a POTATO! Can you believe it? The disrespect! Daddy is just LIVID!"_

"Oh Fru, please ask your father not to do anything drastic."

 _"_ _I don't know, Judy. He's really upset."_

"Fru, I..." Judy closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. "I might know who attacked Koslov."

 _"_ _WHAT?!"_ Her friend shrieked. _"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU KNOW WHO ATTACKED KOSLOV?!"_

Before Judy could explain, there was a brief scuffling sound on the other end of the line followed by an altogether different voice.

 _"_ _Judith."_

"Mr. Big." She kept her tone neutral, forcing her nose to not twitch. "Good evening."

An uneasy detente had existed between the Big family and the ZPD since long before Judy had come to the city. For better or worse, the shrew and his criminal organization followed a code of honor; they would have nothing to do with drugs, prostitution, or the sale of firearms - nor would they tolerate any group that did.

They took impeccable care of their territory, as well. Perhaps the civil work crews hired by the city charged considerably more than a normal contract rate, and maybe their financial records didn't always line up perfectly at the end of the quarter, but the work was still completed on time and to a flawless standard. In many ways, Tundratown was the safest and best maintained district in the city.

Unfortunately, that same code of honor called for a swift retribution against any attack on the family, and the diminutive crime boss was extremely dangerous when provoked. As such, the shrew skipped the usual pleasantries and got right to business. _"I understand you know the identity of Koslov's attackers?"_

"I believe so." She answered carefully.

 _"_ _Are you inclined to share this information?"_ Even with the faint tremor brought on by age, his voice was no less intimidating.

"I think we both know I'm not."

 _"_ _You were perfectly willing to share the information with my daughter, and I would be most appreciative if you would reconsid..."_

"Please," She interrupted. "No questions asked or answered, no favors offered or granted. You know that's how it works."

 _"_ _And because my daughter values your friendship, I have held to those terms."_ Somehow, his voice grew more menacing. _"However, I consider Koslov to be part of the family. An attack on my family, no matter the scale, demands a response."_

"I didn't identify anyone, and I'm not going to. Besides, I only said that I knew who _might_ have been responsible." She paused, weighing her next statement carefully. "If I'm right, I can also say that they're idiots, and assure you that what happened to Koslov was an accident. Neither of us wants to see this situation escalate, so I'll ask you to let me handle it."

 _"_ _I see."_ The line went silent for a long moment. _"I believe I understand your position, Judith."_

"You do?"

 _"_ _As I said, family must be protected."_ Judy felt her blood run cold as the shrew continued. _"I also agree that situations such as this are best handled, shall we say, internally."_

She relaxed, letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "I'm glad you feel that way."

 _"_ _Of course. I will leave this matter in your care. I will not pursue it any further, nor will anyone in my employ. We shall not speak of this again."_

A sharp _click_ signaled the end of the call and Judy lowered the phone from her ear, once again turning to glare at her husband and son; the foxes' earlier bravado had vanished, replaced by pinned ears and limp tails. "What the HELL were you two thinking?!"

Nick winced and took a hesitant step toward her. "Carrots, I..."

"Actually, I don't want to hear it." She cut him off. "Get in the hole, both of you. Now."

"But...it's almost eleven."

"Then I guess you'll need a flashlight." She growled, eyes narrowing even further as the two foxes scrambled to obey her.

-o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o-

When she came downstairs the following morning, Judy wasn't surprised to find Nick snoring loudly in the living room. As much as she still wanted to be upset with him, the sight of her poor dirt-covered fox sprawled out on the couch and fast asleep tugged at her heart. She was just moving to wake him when she heard a faint noise coming from the kitchen. She went to investigate, and found her son just picking up a breakfast tray.

"Oh, good morning." Ethan greeted her quietly. "I was just coming to wake you up. I made you your favorite breakfast - oatmeal and fruit salad. And I cleaned up as much as I could without waking Dad up."

She glanced down at the food, then back to the abashed-looking fox. "Ethan, have you been up all night?"

He looked away, shuffling his feet a little before placing the tray back on the kitchen counter. "I went online and sent Mr. Koslov an anonymous gift basket to apologize. Dad told me he likes smoked fish and pickled eggs. He also said that Mr. Big would appreciate the gesture, even he didn't know who it came from."

"Oh honey, you didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I'm _really_ sorry. We just got over-excited and I didn't mean to hurt anyone." He whispered, quickly wiping away an errant tear with the back of his paw. "You shouldn't have had to come to my rescue."

Judy's heart nearly broke at the sight of her son's tears. Ethan had always been a sensitive little fox, right from the day they had adopted him. His mother had died giving birth, and when no other family came forward he'd been handed over to protective services. He spent the next four years in the foster system, being ostracized over everything from his species to his snow-white fur. The other children would call him a ghost, sometimes pretending he didn't exist for days at a time. Even after she and Nick brought him home, it had been months before he'd spoken above a whisper.

Although he'd grown into a happy and outgoing mammal in the eleven years since then, when he was upset he would sometimes fall back on hold habits; shuffling around, speaking softly and trying to make himself look as small as possible.

Fighting back her own tears, she pulled her son into a tight embrace. "I will _always_ come to your rescue, silly fox."

Ethan wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetheart." She assured him, giving him a comforting nuzzle. "But for the record, you're still in huge trouble."

"I'm probably grounded forever, right?"

"No." She answered simply. "But you and your father _are_ going to spend the rest of the weekend in the hole."

"What?!"

"Watch it, mister." She scolded him, a little playfully. "I'm not the one who shot a twelve-foot-tall mafioso in the face with a potato. Would you rather deal with him, or the hole?"

Ethan seemed torn for a moment, before he looked away and muttered. "The hole."

"Good choice." She nodded. "Besides, _you're_ the one who wanted a backyard pool. Now go get your father up, get out there and start digging."

Sighing, he began trudging toward the door.

"Ethan, one last thing."

He turned, looking at her curiously. "Yeah?"

"You guys really fired a potato two hundred and forty meters?"

"Two hundred and forty- _seven_." Ethan couldn't conceal the note of pride in his voice.

"With a potato cannon that you built yourself?"

"Yep."

"That's pretty amazing, sweetheart. I'm very proud of you."

"Oh...er... Thanks." He blushed a little, looking away. "Does that mean I don't have to..."

"Nice try, kiddo." She smirked. "Go wake your dad and get to work. You're burning daylight and I have a wonderful breakfast to enjoy."

* * *

.

.

Unbelievable... For _ten months_ , I was crippled by writer's block on this one - I had no clue what to write. Then I wake up a 6am one morning, open my laptop, and slam this story out in a couple of hours.

Muses are weird.


	25. Entertainment

_Like every other species, felines were evolved. As a race and as a culture, they'd long since discarded the shackles of savage instinct. They had chosen to follow the higher path of enlightenment, and carried themselves with the kind of dignity that reflected that philosophy._

 _Then Wilde had brought that damned laser pointer into work and everything descended into chaos._

* * *

Although it had gotten a good laugh from the other officers, Wilde hadn't taken too kindly to the remark that foxes sometimes 'couldn't help their own nature'.

To be fair, Delgato had meant it as a compliment. Wilde had once again cracked an especially tough suspect in the interrogation room, employing his uniquely effective interrogation techniques to get all the answers he wanted without even having to raise his voice. It was always an impressive sight to see, and he'd only meant that Wilde gave credit to the reputation foxes had for being clever.

Despite his good intentions, there had been something in the fox's eyes that told him the praise hadn't be received as intended. He'd apologized right away, trying to pass it off as a bad joke, and Wilde had given him what might have been the _least_ reassuring smile he'd ever seen.

"Don't worry about it, buddy." The fox had told him. "After all, instincts can get the better of anyone."

The lion should have known right then that he was in trouble.

* * *

It had started at roll call. The Chief had just begun the daily briefing when Delgato spotted...something...from the corner of his eye. Trying not to look obvious, he'd turned toward the window and tried to pinpoint what he'd seen.

Squinting, he could just barely make out a tiny point of red dancing across the surface of the glass. Though he couldn't quite tell which side it was on, he guessed it was probably on the outside. If it were inside then he'd be able to hear it, wouldn't he? That said, the mammals in the bullpen didn't seem to be reacting to it at all.

It had to be on the inside. Yeah, that made sense.

 _What if it's dangerous, though? Or some kind of listening device?_

He could _swear_ he'd seen something like it before, but he couldn't seem to remember where. He thought he should probably take a closer look. Just to be safe. It would be easy to just reach out and...

"DELGATO!"

Suddenly, the world snapped back into focus. Looking around in confusion, Delgato realized that he'd not only turned away from the briefing, but had actually left his seat altogether. By the time Bogo had shouted his name, the lion had been standing at the window and absentmindedly reaching toward the glass.

"Tell me, Officer Delgato; am I boring you?"

"N-no, sir."

"Well, then there must be something quite interesting happening in the bull pen."

"There was a... no, sir."

"Oh?" The buffalo raised an eyebrow. "THEN SIT DOWN!"

"Yes, sir!" He practically dove into his seat. In an effort to avoid the buffalo's angry gaze, he glanced over to catch sight of Wilde smirking at him. The fox held up a paw, waving a small laser pointer. He'd almost... _almost_...risen from his seat to throttle the smaller officer, but he could practically feel Bogo's piercing stare still on him.

Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and decided to let it go. He'd said something stupid; now he'd take his lumps like an adult.

* * *

Sitting rigidly at his desk, Delgato forced himself to take slow, even breaths. He'd been feeling unusually jittery since his embarrassing display during roll call, and had to keep reminding himself that it was just a laser pointer. He'd seen them before. Hell, he'd _used_ them before. He knew there was nothing unique or interesting about them and certainly no need to get excited. He just needed to focus and _ohmygodthereitis_!

He slammed a paw down on his keyboard. The audible crack made him wince as a random string of letters and numbers appeared in the middle of the report he'd been working on.

This was ridiculous. Chasing a red dot was something a _cub_ would be expected to do. He was an intelligent, mature adult – a police officer, no less – and refused to let himself be manipulated for Wilde's own amusement. He should _not_ be a slave to such childish impulses.

What made it worse was that there was practically nothing he could do about it. He couldn't exactly go to the Chief and complain that Wilde was distracting him with a laser pointer, and threatening Wilde directly would certainly be seen as a huge overreaction to a minor issue.

With a low snarl, he reluctantly turned his head away from the red dot that twitched seductively across the surface of his desk. Practically stomping from the bull pen, he levelled an annoyed glare at the fox on his way out.

Coffee. He needed coffee. Changing course for the break room, he was shocked to turn the corner and find Officer Fangmeyer practically curled up on a bench, eyes closed and purring softly.

"Sofia!" He grabbed her shoulder and hauled her upright. "Wake up!"

"Wha...?" Fangmeyer blinked sleepily. "Jeez, Del. Where's the fire?"

"Where's the..." He gawked at her. "What the _hell_ are you doing?! You can't just fall asleep in the precinct like that!"

"No, I was just..." The half-asleep tiger's explanation was interrupted by a yawn. "Sorry. Wilde said the union rep was looking for me. Told me I should wait for him here. I just...I dunno...got really tired all of a sudden."

"Hold on. _Wilde_ told you to stay here?"

She nodded.

"Right here?"

She nodded again.

"At two-thirty in the afternoon, right when the sun hits the bench you were sitting on."

She contemplated that for a moment, turning around to peer at the shaft of sunlight she'd occupied only moments ago. As realization dawned on her, the tiger's expression slowly morphed from sleepy to indignant. "Oh, that little son of a..."

* * *

Judy was just trying to enjoy her lunch, but the half-dozen felines staring hungrily at her partner were beginning to make her nervous.

"Nick, stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Whatever it is you're doing."

"Eating lunch?"

"Nick, I'm serious." She leaned in closely, lowering her voice. "I mean whatever you've done to have two tigers, two lions, a jaguar and a lynx staring at you like you're their next meal. Either stop what you're doing or apologize for what you've already done."

"I've got no idea what you mean, Carrots." He assured her, licking his fingertips with satisfaction. "Want some melon?"

* * *

The short length of string jigged its way across the surface of Clawhauser's desk, to no reaction. Surprised, Nick popped his head up to stare at the spotted cat. Idly chewing a piece of salmon jerky, Ben stared right back.

"Nick, you and your string aren't the boss of me."

"Oh." The fox blinked. "Well, fair enough."

* * *

When Delgato saw Wilde next, approaching from the opposite end of the hall, the fox was practically radiating smugness. Just as they were about to pass one another, Delgato reached out, grabbed Wilde by the arm, and dragged him aside.

"Whoa! Watch it, big guy!"

"Wilde, this needs to stop." The lion ground out. "I'm sorry about what I said."

"I think I'll stop when I believe you're actually sorry." Wilde countered, narrowing his eyes.

"I _am_ sorry, Wilde. It was a shitty thing to say, especially for a cheap laugh." Delgato sighed heavily. "But whether or not you believe that, this is between you and me. You shouldn't be dragging every other feline in the precinct into it."

Wilde seemed to consider that for a second, and tilted his head in acknowledgement. "I'll admit that I _may_ have taken things a little far."

"Just a little. But I've talked to everyone, explained what's going on, and you won't have to worry about any of them coming after you."

"No?" He seemed genuinely surprised, if a little suspicious. "And why would you do that?"

He grinned toothily at the much shorter fox. "Like I said, this is between you and me. And I'd say you've tilted the scales a bit too far."

"Is that right?" The annoyance seemed to fade from Wilde's eyes, replaced by a kind of wicked amusement. "Well, good luck tilting them back."

Turning on his heel and sauntering away, the fox failed to notice that his phone had been relocated to Delgato's paw.

"Luck? I don't _need_ luck, Wilde."

* * *

Nick didn't notice his phone was missing until he went to use his Snarlbucks app. Giving the barista an apologetic smile, he'd left the coffeehouse in annoyance and proceeded to spend the next hour looking for it.

He'd been certain he had it when he left his desk. Not finding it anywhere obvious, and having already checked the lost & found, he'd resorted to having Carrots call it repeatedly while he wandered the building listening for the sound of it ringing.

He was just outside the bullpen and almost ready to give up when his ears caught a distinct buzzing sound. The fox tilted his head curiously to one side, trying to locate the noise's source, until his eyes came to rest on a white sheet that had been haphazardly tossed over a few chairs. He must have dropped his phone at some point and it'd somehow ended up under the sheet. He'd just take a quick look underne... _pounce on it_...ath it to see.

Wait…what?

Nick shook his head, puzzled by the errant thought. Why would he pounce on it? All he had to do was lift the... _Snow! It's under the snow!..._ sheet up and take a look.

He began to move forward but then the phone buzzed again, just to the left of where he'd heard it originally. He froze mid-step, cocking his head from side to side as he felt his ears twitch. _It's going to get away! You can hear it so just POUNCE on it already!_

He knew it was ridiculous but what if...what if it _did_ get away? He'd been looking for it for an hour already! If he let it escape now, who knows when he'd find it again? He was vaguely aware that he was lowering himself into a crouch, the muscles in his legs and haunches tightening.

 _Do it. Doooooooooooo it._

There was a long silence, and for a second Nick was afraid the phone _had_ gotten away. Then it gave another long buzz, and this time his sharp eyes caught a hint of the screen's glow through the white material. Got it!

Leaping upward, Nick soared through the air in a graceful arc and came down on the white sheet, snout first, with an audible thump.

"Aghhh!" Clutching his nose with both paws, he almost didn't notice an amused lion emerge from around the corner.

"Hey there, Wilde. I guess you found your phone?"

Nick rubbed his sore muzzle, angrily retrieving his phone from beneath the sheet and glaring at the larger officer.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Delgato reached down to help Nick to his feet. Gesturing to the fox's nose, he held out a small package of tissues. "So, no more toying with instincts?"

Nick dabbed at his nose lightly, pulling the tissue away to peer at the spots of blood. "Given the circumstances, I feel I'm prepared to declare a truce."

"I'm glad to hear that."

* * *

Sitting calmly at his desk, Delgato thoroughly enjoyed being able to complete and submit his remaining paperwork without having to fear some kind of psychological attack. And although he wasn't about to say anything out loud, he took a small amount of satisfaction in having outfoxed an actual fox.

Like all felines - the epitome of civilized mammalian culture, in his humble opinion - he was a bringer of peace, defender of his kin, and once again the master of his own impulses.

Even _if_ he found himself inexplicably drawn to the large empty cardboard box sitting in the centre of the bullpen.

Could he fit inside it? He could probably fit inside it.

Yeah, he could _totally_ fit inside it.

* * *

 **Those of you with cats probably enjoyed this more than others.**


	26. Bore

_It was through sheer force of will that Judy kept her foot from thumping against the floor. The amount of time it took for Flash to tell a joke could be downright excruciating – but his punchlines were always worth the wait._

* * *

They both knew that today was going to be long, arduous, and seemingly without end; an unparalleled mental and physical trial the likes of which could crack even the toughest mammal.

With that in mind, the pair had cleared their schedules entirely and taken a vacation day from work. They'd made sure they both got a good night's sleep, and met up early to have a filling breakfast. They were dressed comfortably and their phones were fully charged.

They were ready.

"Flash, Flash, hundred-yard-dash!" Swaggering up to the service window, Nick lowered his mirrored aviators and grinned at the sloth. "Nice to see ya, buddy."

"Hey, Flash." Judy added.

 **"** **Hey..."**

Although they didn't need him for official police business anymore, Flash was still the fastest mammal at the DMV. That was why he was still the one they came to when they needed their licenses renewed.

Strictly speaking, Judy's license was the only one that was expiring. Nick still had about six months on his, but he'd decided to go in at the same time. As much as he liked catching up with his friend, he was also interested in keeping their DMV visits to an absolute minimum.

 **"** **...guys."**

Before Nick could continue, the grey bunny at his side gave him a positively evil grin and turned to the slow-moving bureaucrat. "Hey Flash, heard any good jokes lately?"

Glaring at his partner, Nick resisted the urge to groan. Although they'd been among the first mammals to arrive that morning, it was just past eleven o'clock and they'd only just reached the front of the line.

 **"** **Sure."**

Pulling out his phone, he peered at the lock screen and raised an eyebrow at the new text message notification icon. Since there were only a handful of mammals in the city that ever texted him, and two of them were standing right in front of him, he was pretty sure he knew who it had come from.

Unlocking the device confirmed his suspicions; the text had been sent by his mother.

 _[Hi Sweetie! Call me ASAP. Need to know where you're going! Love, Mom]_

Although the message was annoyingly cryptic, as was typical for the older vixen, he couldn't help but chuckle at her sign-off. Despite his best attempts to explain the difference, she just couldn't wrap her head around the idea that text messages weren't like miniature emails and finished every single one with 'Love, Mom.'

He put on a big performance about finding it _so_ annoying that his mother couldn't seem to join the modern age, but the truth was that he didn't really want her to. He'd never admit as much – except _maybe_ to Judy - but every 'Love, Mom' he received warmed his heart a little.

He mulled over his potential response, weighing his options carefully. Although he was tempted to ignore the question, his mother possessed a tenacity that could make Judy look downright lazy in comparison. On the other hand, sending her an equally vague reply would only result in an infuriating back-and-forth exchange of ambiguous texts until one of them broke down and provided a straight answer. Based on past experience, the one to break wasn't going to be her.

Might as well get this over with.

 **"** **What's..."**

Wandering away from Flash's service window, he dialed his mother's number. He idly watched a wombat taking a driver's test as he waited for her to pick up, wincing as the nervous mammal struggled to get the car into gear.

 _"_ _Hello?"_

"Hey Mom. I got your message."

 _"_ _Nick! I'm so glad you called back!"_

He waited until it became clear that she wasn't going to continue. "Soooo...what's up?"

 _"_ _Oh, I'm just putting together my shopping list and I wanted to ask where you'd be spending the holidays."_

"With you?" He responded slowly, a little confused. "Where else would I be spending them?"

 _"_ _I thought you might be visiting Judy's family this year."_

"Why would I be visiting Judy's family?"

 _"_ _Nick, don't be obtuse."_ Somehow, he could actually sense her eyeroll.

"Mom, I'm just..."

 _"_ _Completely infatuated with her?"_

"Mom!" He hissed, glancing back to his partner. "Stop it!"

 **"** **...orange..."**

" _Nicholas!_ " How his mother could fit such an effective scolding into a single word was a mystery to him. " _Don't you dare take that tone with me, young man."_

"Sorry, but we've talked about this."

 _"_ _No, you've talked about this. I've never pretended to agree with your nonsense."_

"Mom..."

 _"_ _Honestly Nick, you two are completely head over tail for one another! I just can't figure out why you've both been too dumb to do anything about it."_

"Excuse me?!" He barked indignantly, catching the attention of a few nearby mammals. Lowering his voice, he turned back to the window and growled into the phone. "I'm getting tired of going over this. She and I are doing things on our own terms and you need to butt out."

 _"_ _Nicholas..."_ She hesitated.

 **"** **...and..."**

"Damnit." Running a paw over his face, he glanced over to his partner again. "I'm really sorry, Mom. But we _have_ talked about this. My life, my choices, remember?"

 _"_ _I know, honey. I just can't bear to see you unhappy."_ His mother replied softly. " _I know you've always lived life on your own terms, but no matter how experienced you think you are, you need to remember that I'm always going to be thirty years older than you."_

"Mom..." He trailed off.

 _"_ _I know a thing or two about loneliness, sweetheart. If you two care about one other, you shouldn't have to be apart."_

"Fine." He huffed. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll ask Judy about spending the holidays with her and her family. Happy now?"

 _"_ _Very much."_

"I should mention that I haven't actually been invited." He pointed out. "If it's a family-only thing, I might not be welcome."

 _"_ _I'm sure it'll be fine."_ She assured him. _"Have fun and say hello to Bonnie and Stu for me. Love you, sweetheart! Bye!"_

"Love you, too." He pulled his phone away, ending the call. "Unbelievable."

 **"** **...sounds..."**

Confirming that Judy was still enraptured by the sloth's glacial sense of humor, Nick scrolled through his contacts and place another call.

 _"_ _What?"_

"Hey Finn. How ya doing?"

 _"_ _Why? You behind on your arrest quota this month?"_

"I swear, that just gets funnier and funnier every time you say it." Nick responded dryly.

 _"_ _Must be my mirthful nature."_ The fennec drawled. " _What do ya want?_ "

He sighed. "Look, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

Nick grimaced as the other fox's laughter came booming over the line. " _The fuzz askin' me for a favor! That's rich!_ "

"No, this is a personal favor. I might be... I'm probably gonna be out of town for the holidays."

Finnick snorted in amusement. " _Spendin' some time with the future in-laws, are ya?_ "

"I've already had this conversation today, Finn." Nick felt his ears pin back involuntarily. "Please don't make me have it again."

 _"_ _Well, I dunno about that. How'd that conversation end?"_

He pinched his brow in annoyance. "It ended with me deciding to spend the holidays with Judy."

 **"** **...like..."**

 _"_ _Yeah, I figured as much, but I wanted to hear you say it."_

"Look, I just want you to look in on my mom. I don't want her to be alone for Christmas. You think you could manage that for me?"

 _"_ _Maybe. Is she still makin' that casserole?"_

"You know it."

 _"_ _A'ight then. I'll be there."_

"I appreciate it, Finn. Seriously."

" _I ain't doin' it for you._ " The fennec reminded him. " _You know I'd tap dance on broken glass for some of Mama Wilde's tuna casserole."_

"Fair enough, buddy. You take care now."

" _Always do. You enjoy spendin' the holidays down that rabbit hole._ " Roaring with laughter, Finnick hung up before Nick could respond.

"Jackass." Nick chuckled.

 **"** **...parrots?"**

"I dunno, Flash." Judy replied, grinning. "What _is_ orange and sounds like parrots?"

Flash paused dramatically.

Judy bounced happily on her toes.

Nick took the opportunity to respond to a couple of work emails.

 **"** **Carrots."**

The sloth gave them a satisfied smile as Judy snorted with laughter, ears falling forward over her face.

"Seriously? That's what leaves you in stiches?" Nick shook his head as he returned to her side. "Your love for corny jokes is bizarre, Carrots. Honestly, I'm beginning to question your sense of humor."

"It's because they're _funny._ " She argued, scowling playfully at her partner. "Remind me to tell my dad that one next time I visit home."

"I give you comedy gold every day and I never hear you sharing any of _that_ with your dad."

"Really? What would you like me to pass on, hm? The inappropriate dumb bunny remarks?"

"You're one to talk." He smirked at her confused expression. "It only takes a couple of drinks before you're dropping bombs that could make a Vice officer blush."

"Oh, now you're just exaggerating."

 **"** **So..."**

The pair turned to face the peacefully smiling sloth, and Nick let out a faint sigh. "This is going to take a while. Want me to order us a pizza or something for lunch?"

"Ooh! Could you grab us some take out from that noodle place we went to last week? I loved that place!"

"Carrots, that's clear across town."

"If you go get us noodles while I get my license renewed, then while you're getting _yours_ renewed I'll go get us some pie from that bakery in the Meadowlands. I bet they'll have that berry medley one you love so much. What do you say?"

 **"** **...what's..."**

"I say that you do know the way to this fox's heart, Miss Hopps." He grinned.

"That's a yes, then?"

"That's a yes." He held a paw up. "Keys?"

She pulled the car keys from her pocket, but didn't hand them over.

"Before you go, I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering..." She cleared her throat. "And I totally understand if you've already got plans, but I was wondering if you'd, well..."

"What's the matter, Carrots? Fox got your tongue?" He teased, more than a little pleased when a faint blush crept up her ears.

 **"** **...new…**

"Very funny." She huffed, trying not to smile. "But what I wanted to know was whether you'd like to spend the holidays with me and my family?"

"In Bunnyburrow?"

She nodded, a little nervously.

"I'd love to, Carrots. There's nowhere else I'd rather be." The corner of his mouth ticked downward slightly. "I assume your parents are okay with me coming along?"

"You know, it's funny you should say that. Mom and Dad actually called me last night and suggested I invite you. I was worried you'd rather stay here with your mom." She frowned. "Wow. That sounds _really_ selfish when I say it out loud."

"I'm willing to let it slide." He gave her a little wink.

 **"** **...with...**

"Anyway, I told them that and they seemed pretty confident that it wouldn't be a problem."

"Is that right?" Nick muttered, the wheels in his head turning slowly. "Those tricky little meddlers."

"Pardon?"

"Don't worry about it." He peered at her curiously. "Do you have that renewal application?"

Patting down her pockets, she failed to locate the paperwork in question. "Oh, carrot sticks! I must have left it in the car."

"Well, go get it then. I'll hold your spot."

"I'll be right back, I swear." She yelled over her shoulder, already running to the door.

 **"…** **you?"**

Nick turned to face Flash, quietly regarding the sloth. "You really want to know?"

The sloth gave a measured, unhurried nod.

 **"** **Yup."**

He took a moment to mull over the question, gazing out the window as Judy scrambled through the unmarked cruiser they'd signed out, searching for her errant application.

"Well - since you ask - I'm beginning to suspect that our respective parents are scheming to get Judy and I to acknowledge the mutual romantic feelings that, until now, have mostly been simmering just beneath the surface." He gave a derisive snort. "As if that's their decision to make. Personally, I think it should be our choice when and where we choose to act on our feelings, not theirs."

He glanced back at Flash, who was still listening peacefully.

"That said, I'll be damned if we're going to spend the holidays forced to endure their awkward attempts at match-making. I'd much rather just enjoy spending time with her." Nick's brow furrowed. "So maybe their plan is working after all, because I just realized that _is_ all I want – to spend my time with her. I want to be with her and the more I think about it, the clearer it is that there really _isn't_ any point to our holding back."

"So, if you really want to know what's new, here it is. That ridiculous bunny running toward us is the love of my life. She's the most precious thing in my entire world and, starting now and for the rest of my life, I'm gonna show her how much I love her every single day." Taking a deep breath, Nick turn back to face his old friend. "Also, we...uh...need to get our licenses renewed."

Flash seemed to consider that as Judy came running up, application in paw. Finally, a slow smile crept across his face and he gave Nick an incredibly slow nod of appreciation.

 **"** **Cool."**


	27. Analysis - Pt I

_"_ _These," Judy stated, spitting loudly, "are not real vegetables."_

 _Nick cocked his head just slightly to the side. "You had to taste them to know that?"_

* * *

She rolled her eyes, laughing as she tossed the wax cucumber back into the opened crate. "Well, I just wanted to be sure."

"Seriously Carrots, with insight like that it's amazing you didn't make detective sooner."

"Okay, that's enough out of you, Mister Smarty-Fox." Judy shot him an amused look. "My point is that it's pretty strange for a refrigerator truck belonging to a Podunk-based vegetable wholesaler to be hauling wax vegetables."

"I'll admit that it stretches the imagination a little."

Jumping down from the trailer, Judy turned to face her partner. "Y'know, this would have been so much easier if we'd just found a bunch of drugs in the truck."

"And it would have been _easiest_ if we hadn't pulled over at all." Nick grumbled. "Considering we're _off-duty._ "

"I know, but it happened _right in front of us!_ ".

He groaned, running a paw wearily over his face. "Carrots, we're _detectives_. All this side-of-the-road patrol nonsense is supposed to be behind us."

"Come on, Nick. A jackknifed trailer truck in the middle of the city? A driver who tries to flee the scene the second he sees flashing lights?" She gestured to the morose-looking skunk handcuffed to the truck's rear bumper. "This kind of thing just _begs_ to be investigated."

He glared down at her as one of his ears flicked in annoyance. She grinned unrepentantly back up at him.

"Fine." He muttered. "We'll stay until forensics arrives, _and_ _that's all._ "

"Woo!" She pumped her fist joyfully. "We're on the case!"

Shaking his head, he watched her run back to their unmarked cruiser to request the forensics team in question.

"Is she, like, insane?"

Turning to regard the handcuffed driver, Nick offered the skunk a simple nod. "Yes. Yes, she is."

* * *

Despite its open-and-shut appearance, Judy was insistent that they dig deeper into what Nick had begun calling, 'The Case of the Faux Produce'. She was so certain there was something more to discover that, two hours later, the pair of them stood in front of Chief Bogo's desk trying to convince the buffalo of the same thing.

"The vegetable wholesaler that owns the truck, Spring Harvest LLC, is owned by a bighorn sheep named Grant Shepherd." Judy handed a file folder to the Chief. "Shepherd has suspected ties to some criminal organizations, but nothing definitive enough to investigate."

"Fascinating." Bogo drawled. "Kindly explain why I should care in the slightest?"

Nick chose that moment to weigh in. "When the forensics team was looking over some of the truck's crates, they found a chemical residue resembling a pharmaceutical-grade stimulant. What's strange is that the compound doesn't match anything we have on file, and that hints at the possibility of a new designer drug."

"That's a bit of a stretch, Detective."

"Maybe, but we think it's worth looking into." Granted, the 'we' in that sentence was a bit of an exaggeration. But Judy had convinced him that there might be more going on, so as far as the Chief was concerned, they were a united front.

"Fine. If you want to dedicate your time to this, go right ahead. Talk to every store that Spring Harvest supplies, see if we can't find out where this mystery compound was going."

"I don't think so, sir."

The Chief blinked. "I beg your pardon, Hopps?"

"I said no, sir." Judy repeated, meeting the buffalo's glare with a calm, steady gaze. "If we start doing that, we won't even have visited a third of them before word gets back to someone at Spring Harvest. We're better off leaning on the driver. If we put enough pressure on him, we may be able to get enough for a search warrant before Shepherd knows we're on to him."

With a mildly impressed snort, Bogo handed the case file back to her. "It's your investigation Hopps, so it's your call. Follow your instincts, but I expect to see results."

Judy grinned. "You will, sir."

"Very well, then. Carry on."

As soon as they were out of the buffalo's sight, Nick leaned over to give his partner a playful nudge. "Damn, Carrots. Way to bust out the confidence. I betcha old buffalo butt didn't see that coming."

"Thanks." She frowned. "But now we actually have to solve the case."

"Just believe in yourself, Fluff." He grinned as they reached their shared desk space. "You know I do."

As he started rifling through his disastrously cluttered desktop in search of their suspect's arrest record, he failed to notice that his partner hadn't responded to his comment. In fact, all she'd done was stand back a ways, eyeing him speculatively. After a long moment, she glanced from side-to-side to see who was in earshot as a slow smile crept onto her face.

"Hey, Nick?" He turned to find Judy gazing at him in a decidedly non-Judy kind of way.

"What's up?"

"Do you have any plans after work tonight?"

The question was innocent enough, but something in the way she asked it left Nick feeling a little warm under the collar. "Nothing in particular. Why?"

As she moved closer, the fox found himself entranced by the look in her amethyst eyes. "We should go out to dinner."

"Y-yeah. Sure." His mouth had gone inexplicably dry. "We can hit the diner down the street and grab a bite to..."

"No, Nick." She interrupted, placing a warm paw over his mouth. " _We_ should go _out_ to dinner."

"Oh." He blinked as his brain tried to catch up. "You mean like... _dinner_?"

"Mm-hm." She nodded as she ran her paw along his muzzle, tracing a line down his neck to idly play with the fur at his collar. "Does that sound like fun?"

Not trusting his voice, the fox nodded dumbly.

"Good. It's a date, then." She smiled, leaning in closely enough that he could feel her breath on his whiskers. Then, with a playful wink, she stepped away from him. "But right now, we have a suspect to talk to."

With that, she turned and sauntered out of the bullpen, leaving the stunned fox with his back still pressed against the wall. "Oh boy..."

* * *

"You say you didn't do anything wrong, Brad?" Leaning uncomfortably close, Judy was playing her role as 'bad cop' to a hilt. "Then why did you run?"

"I wasn't running." The wide-eyed skunk stammered. "I was going to get help, I swear!"

"Running to get help when the police were already there? In the opposite direction, I might add." Nick asked, the very picture of the politely skeptical 'good cop'. "C'mon, Bradley. We want to help you, but we can't do that if you lie to us. You need you give us something we can work with."

"I've told you everything I know!"

"The _hell_ you have!" She snarled, sweeping the coffee cups off the table. The skunk jerked back in alarm, wondering where the grinning bunny from earlier had gone.

"Take it easy, Carrots!" Nick pulled her back into her chair. "Let's dial it back a little, okay? Why don't we let Mr. Mason think about his situation for a while?"

Holding the door open, he gently ushered the fuming bunny out into the hall. Casting on last look at the agitated skunk, Nick carefully schooled his expression to convey a balanced mixture of sympathy, authority, and concern. Just enough to plant the seed in the suspect's mind that confessing to the fox was safer than facing the bunny.

Gesturing to a nearby uniformed officer, he directed that Bradley be escorted back to the precinct holding cells before hurrying to catch up with his partner. He fell into step beside her as they walked in tense silence back. Settling into his seat, he took a moment to gaze at his partner across their connected desks. "Carrots, you know I love your 'bad cop' routine, but you might want to ease up a little. The poor guy looked like he was about to have a stroke."

"He's lying to us." She grumbled as she tried logging into her computer, incorrectly entering her password twice and slapping the side of the monitor in frustration. "Piece of shit."

Nick's eyebrows rose at the uncharacteristic curse. "Maybe. Or maybe he's just a regular truck driver who didn't know what he was hauling."

"Then _why_ did he _run_?"

"There are plenty of reasons he might've run. Forensics found a dime bag of nip in the cab, and Brad _does_ have a couple of minor possession charges on his record." Nick shrugged. "Maybe he was afraid of getting arrested again. Mammals have lost their jobs over a lot less."

"Since when do _you_ have faith in mammals everywhere?" Judy grumbled.

"Since you woke up on the wrong side of the burrow, Carrots." He returned. "Besides, challenging one another is a key part of our distinctive investigative technique."

"Right." She sighed, running her paws over her ears. "I think you just get a kick out of being contrary."

"There's that, but it's mostly the investigative technique thing." He frowned at the unamused glare she aimed at him. "Look, I think you're getting a little intense about this. Not every case needs to be solved in forty-eight hours."

"I know what I'm doing, Nick." Judy screwed her eyes shut, reaching up to rub her temples. "I've been doing it longer than you, anyway."

"C'mon, you know I'm just trying to look out for you."

She scoffed. "As if I need you to."

"Okay, that was kind of mean." He gently lay a paw on her shoulder. "I'm starting to get a little worried here."

"Get the _fuck_ off me!" Judy snapped, taking a swipe at the startled fox. "Is that how it works? I ask you to dinner and suddenly you're all paws?"

He staggered back a step. "Judy, what are you..."

"Just go take a walk, Nick." She muttered, turning back to her desk. "I have work to do."

* * *

Bogo watched the bewildered fox make his way out of the bullpen, then turned to consider the bunny muttering angrily to herself as she sifted through the documents strewn about her desk.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen this kind of behavior. The job was stressful enough without putting extra pressure on oneself. Skilled as Hopps was, perhaps her responsibilities as a detective were proving to be more taxing than she had expected. The rabbit had always been driven to excel, but she wouldn't be the first officer to overwork themselves in a misguided effort to prove something.

Fortunately, the remedy was simple – just ease their workload a bit, give them a chance to catch their breath and find their stride. As much as he expected results from the mammals under his command, their health and well-being always came first.

He strode purposefully toward the rabbit's desk until he was standing over her. "Hopps. A word?"

With a frustrated sigh, the rabbit threw her pen down and pushed away from her desk. Standing on her chair, she glared up at her superior. "Yes?"

He raised an eyebrow, hoping that would sufficiently communicate his displeasure at her tone. "I'm concerned that you may be over-extending yourself, so I'm reassigning the Spring's Harvest investigation to a more senior detective. Please gather up the relevant documents for hand-over."

"What? What do you mean you're reassigning the investigation?" She cried. "This is _my_ fucking case!"

A hush fell over the bullpen as the other officers glanced at one another uncomfortably. Bogo's temper flared for a brief second before he clamped down on it, reminding himself that such an outburst was deeply uncharacteristic for her and was almost certainly a symptom of the pressure she was putting on herself.

"Hopps, there's nothing wrong with taking a lighter workload for a little while." The buffalo responded evenly. "You are clearly under a great deal of stress and not in any frame of mind to be leading an investigation on your own."

"So, what? The first sign of trouble and you're just going to put me back in that goddamn meter maid outfit?"

"Go home, Detective. Get some sleep and we'll discuss this further in the morning."

"The _hell_ we will! We're going to talk about it _right now_!"

Realizing that there wasn't any more to be gained from this discussion, Bogo sighed and began turning to leave.

" _YOU LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU_!" Judy snarled, her paw coming to rest on her sidearm.

The entire bullpen went silent as Bogo froze in place. Carefully avoiding any threatening movements, he slowly turned back to face the infuriated detective. "Hopps, you need to take a breath and consider what's happening right now. Take your paw _off_ that weapon, then we can talk."

Taking a closer look at his smallest officer, he began to see that stress wasn't her only problem. The bunny's pupils were massively dilated, two black pools surrounded by thin purple rings. Her paws trembled as her nose twitched wildly. "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

"Alright, Judy. No one needs to get hurt today." He made an effort to speak in a soothing tone and began to take a slow step forward, halting when Judy's thumb deftly unsnapped her holster.

Glancing down at her weapon, he recognized the distinctive black and yellow hazard stripes of a maximum-dose tranquilizer dart and felt an uncharacteristic shiver of fear. Aptly nicknamed 'The Killer Bee', it was loaded with a highly potent neuro-sedative and intended only for use on the largest of suspects.

Although every ZPD officer was issued one, carrying it loaded when there wasn't an immediate threat was grounds for suspension. If Hopps fired that in the crowded bullpen, the result could be devastating. Trunkaby or McHorn _might_ be able to fight the effects for a few seconds, but it would probably put _him_ into a coma. Not a comforting thought when he seemed to be the focus of the bunny's rage. If she were to hit someone as small as Clawhauser or Wilde, they'd be dead in a heartbeat.

"THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES?! _THIS IS HOW I GET YOUR RESPECT_?!" She had begun shaking in earnest now, a hint of froth gathering at the corner of her mouth.

Likely attracted by the commotion – and showing a spectacular display of poor timing - her partner chose that moment to shoulder his way to the front of the crowded officers. "What the hell is going on?"

Hopps spun toward the sound of Wilde's voice, her sidearm clearing the holster in the blink of an eye. The entire bullpen flinched as she leveled her weapon on her partner. "N-Nick?"

"Carrots? What are you...?"

"They're not listening to me! Tell them they just need to _LISTEN TO ME_!"

"Okay, Carrots. No problem." He raised his paws and looked at her pleadingly over the weapon sights. "I promise that everyone is listening, alright? Just please... _please_ put the gun down."

"What?" The frantic bunny glanced around the room. "Are you...you're on their side?!"

He shook his head, keeping his voice steady. "If there are any sides, I promise that I'm on yours."

"Nick, I..." Angry tears began to fall from her eyes. "I...I don't..."

"It's gonna be okay, Judy. I'm right here." The fox took a cautious step forward. "I'm right here with you."

For a second Bogo thought Wilde might have gotten through to her, then her eyes narrowed dangerously. " _LIAR!_ "

Bogo felt his muscles seize at the sharp _crack_ of Hopps' sidearm, his heart coming to a brief but jarring halt. Fangmeyer, however, acted without hesitation. The tiger's lightning-fast reflexes were the only thing that saved Wilde's life as she jerked him out of Judy's line of fire.

The high-velocity dart, loaded with enough sedative to kill the fox before he hit the ground, passed by Wilde with only inches to spare. It hadn't even hit the wall before Wolford had his taser drawn and leveled at the enraged bunny. She didn't have a chance to react before the twin barbs embedded in her side, sending ten thousand volts of electricity screaming through her nervous system. Even at its lowest setting, the bunny shrieked in agony as she collapsed to the ground.

"Stop! She's down!" Nick howled, madly struggling against the tiger's grip. "Please stop! _You're hurting her_!"

* * *

Nick's mind was drowning with a hundred different thoughts, each of them competing for his full attention. Unable to process them all, he let out a shuddering breath and reached up to place his paw on the reinforced glass barrier between himself and Judy.

The sight of his partner strapped to a hospital bed was almost more than his heart could bear. She'd been up for most of the night, spewing obscenities and straining violently against her restraints. She eventually had to be sedated to prevent her from hurting herself.

He'd tried, briefly, to achieve some kind of professional detachment. He'd thought back to the original Nighthowler case, made an effort to picture her as just another savage mammal; he couldn't do anything to help her while his brain was stuck in this endless cycle of meaningless noise. It was a futile attempt, though. Nighthowler victims were one thing. As frightening as they could be, they were ultimately so far removed from rationality that it was tough to imagine the mammal underneath. Despite being consumed by rage, however, this was still his Judy.

"Will she recover?" He asked hesitantly.

"At this point, it's impossible to say. Whatever toxin is affecting her, it's like nothing I've seen before." The doctor beside him shrugged helplessly. "It appears to adapt itself to the user's..."

"Victim." Nick glared at the shorter badger. "Carrots isn't some junkie. Call her a user again and we're gonna have a problem. You got that?"

"Y-yes, of course." The doctor stammered. "It...err...adapts itself the _victim's_ individual neurochemistry. I'm afraid it's too early to determine what long-term effects there may be."

"But will she _recover_?"

The doctor sighed, recognizing the signs of a mammal who needed to be told their loved one would be alright. He'd seen it countless times before. Nevertheless, he'd decided a long time ago that - as a doctor – he had a duty of honesty to his patients and their families. Clearing his throat, he shook off the momentary fright the fox had given him.

"I don't have the answer you're looking for, Detective." He informed the taller mammal. "I'm genuinely sorry, but I just don't know."

* * *

END PART I


	28. Analysis - Pt II

**_[Continued from Analysis – Pt I]_**

* * *

"What in the _hell_ happened?"

Nick winced at Bogo's pointed question, trying to formulate a response that didn't make both Judy and himself sound like idiots.

"I asked you a question, Wilde. I expect an answer." The buffalo pressed. "It's natural to want to protect your partner, but trying to cover up a substance abuse problem is no way to help her."

"What?!" He yelped. "No! No, it's nothing like that!"

"Then what is it?"

"She...we were in the trailer and there were these boxes of these ugly-looking wax vegetables, and I made some remark about how fake they looked, and..."

"And?"

Nick sighed. "And Judy picked one up and took a bite out of it. She w..."

"She did _what._ "

"She was just trying to get a laugh out of me! We were off-duty, and I was pissed about stopping to investigate the truck, and..." His shoulders sagged helplessly. "She just wanted me to smile."

"Good lord. Better it _was_ substance abuse." Bogo muttered, gently massaging his temples. Refocusing on the fox, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Wilde, are you really going to sit there and tell me that one of my most capable officers, while standing in the middle of a potential crime scene, picked up a piece of evidence and _took a bite out of it?!_ "

Nick nodded uncomfortably.

Bogo held his scowl on the fox for a full minute, watching the smaller mammal fidget uncomfortably in the too-large chair. "The lab report on the wax vegetables hasn't come back yet. I will reserve judgement until it does."

"I..."

"Given the circumstances, I'm also going to set aside Hopps' monumental display of _idiocy_. For now." Bogo leaned over the desk to glare at his second-smallest officer again. "But rest assured that when she recovers – and she _will_ recover, Wilde – we'll all be having a nice, long _chat_ about proper crime scene procedure."

"Yes, sir." The fox nodded meekly, just as someone knocked lightly on the doorframe. Nick turned to see a scruffy-looking hyena, his unkempt appearance juxtaposed with the silver detective's badge that hung around his neck.

"Come in, Clayton." Bogo summoned, gesturing to the empty seat beside the fox. "Wilde, this is Detective Davis Clayton from the Precinct Four Vice unit."

"Nice to meet ya, Wilde."

"You too." Nick nodded.

"Would you mind bringing Detective Wilde up to speed on what we're dealing with?"

"No problem." Handing Nick a case file, the hyena dropped into the other seat. "You and your partner managed to stumble on a shipment of a new designer drug. A powerful neuro-stimulant that dealers are calling Night Fury."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." The fox muttered as he flipped through the file, earning another glare from Bogo.

"Yeah, well, don't let the name fool you. It's got nothing in common with the original Night Howler serum. This stuff is one-hundred-percent synthetic."

"Then what's with the catchy name? Was 'Derivative Bullshit' taken?"

"Watch your mouth, Wilde!" Bogo snapped. "I'm keeping you on this case because I believe you can be an asset in solving it, but if I believe for a second that you aren't able to act like a professional, I'll have you on administrative leave and out the door so fast your tail won't even touch the ground. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir. Sorry." Nick turned to Clayton. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it." The hyena shrugged. "Besides, you're not really wrong. Night Howlers lit up the news cycle for weeks after Bellwether got arrested. Even though nobody's gonna pay for a drug that's guaranteed to send them off on some savage rampage, it's still got a pretty serious rep. At the end of the day, this new drug's name is really just a marketing stunt."

"If you say so."

"Anyway, one hit of this stuff and all of the user's fears and insecurities fade away. They feel like they can do anything. Like nobody could stand in their way."

"Sounds like something mammals would pay good money for."

"And they do, believe me. We've had it show up in at least five districts."

"Must be all the rage with the party-all-night club crowd."

"You'd think so, but it turns out that's not where the money is." Clayton admitted. "The real market is with stress-cases; investment bankers, high-level executives, and even university students...especially the post-grads. These mammals get themselves so spun up that Night Fury is practically a downer for them. Smooths them out, makes them able to cope with the pressure."

"And the catch is..."

"The catch is the nasty side-effects of a user taking more than one hit. If one makes a mammal confident, two could make them arrogant and three could make them downright reckless." The hyena smirked. "Assertiveness becomes aggression, aggression becomes frenzy, and that's usually when the ZPD gets a phone call."

"What? When some mammal starts going off the rails?"

"Pretty much, but even that isn't a one hundred percent indicator. An overdose shows all the same external signs as a nervous breakdown, and since a lot of users are already chronic stress-cases, an actual overdose can be ridiculously tough to spot."

"So, if we've been investigating this stuff, why didn't it come up when forensics ran it through the ZPD database?"

Clayton gave a half-shrug. "Compartmentalization."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that not everyone needs to know everything, _Detective_." Bogo cut in. "Now, if you're going to insist on continuing to work this case, I want you to work with Detective Clayton. The two of you will pick up where Hopps left off, follow up on that truck, and see if this is the loose thread we've been looking for. Dismissed."

* * *

"These notes are insane." Clayton complained, flipping through the paperwork they'd recovered from Judy's desk. "Would you look at this absurd level of detail? Just how amped up was that bunny?"

Looking up from his own work, Nick skimmed over the notes in question and smiled fondly. "Actually, her notes always look like that."

"Like deranged stereo instructions?"

"Whatever you say, Clayton. Anyway, those are from a pawn shop robbery last week. These are from yesterday." Handing over a few partially crumpled sheets of paper, he watched the hyena's eyes widen at the collection of untidy scrawls, crossed-out sentences, half-formed ideas and contradictory theories.

"Yikes."

"Yeah." Nick responded dryly as he rose from his seat. "I really don't think we're gonna get much from these."

"You're probably right." Clayton nodded, dropping the sheets on his desk. "C'mon, let's go grab something to eat. I know a great place in The Square."

Signing an unmarked car out of the motor pool, the pair left the Precinct One headquarters and headed toward the heart of Sahara Square. They were merging onto Gobi Avenue when Clayton finally broke the slightly awkward silence. "I gotta ask, Wilde. Why're you out here with me and not at the hospital with Julie?"

"Judy."

"Right. My bad."

"She wouldn't want me hanging around the hospital." Nick answered simply.

"Ah. I gotcha."

Nick turned to peer at him curiously.

"It makes sense how a fox and bunny wouldn't really be that close." The hyena continued. "It's awesome that you guys can put all that aside when you're on the job, though."

"Gee, thanks."

Clayton shrugged, apparently oblivious to the fox's sarcasm. "Gotta be a drag, though. Working with a bunny? I mean, I always figured the two of you just got paired up for the size thi..."

"Actually," Nick interrupted. "We're pretty close."

"Oh." The hyena coughed uncomfortably. "I didn't..."

"It's fine."

"Seriously, I..."

"It's _fine_."

"Right. Well, we're here anyway."

Climbing out of the car, Nick eyed the establishment dubiously. Bright neon outlines of various provocatively-posed females adorned the building. "You brought a fox to a place called The Henhouse? Really?"

"Hell yeah." Clayton laughed. "It may look like a one-star strip joint but the lunch specials are outta this world."

Nick hummed noncommittally, peering at the overflowing dumpster beside the building and the homeless mammal sleeping next to the door. Unlike foxes, hyenas evolved from scavengers and carrion-eaters; his stomach probably wasn't as strong as Clayton's.

Grabbing a table inside, they didn't have to wait long before an unusually busty jackal sauntered up to them, smiling when she recognized Detective Clayton. "Hiya Clay. How ya doin', sweetie?"

"Can't complain, Lizzie. You?"

"I could complain, but who'd listen?" The jackal winked. "What can I get ya?"

"Two lunch specials, extra hot sauce on mine."

"C'mon, Clay. Who do ya think you're talkin' to here?" She collected their menus, flashing an unnecessary amount of cleavage in the process. "I know how you like it."

"I'm...uh..." Rising from the table, Nick gestured vaguely toward the back. "I'm gonna go wash my paws."

Staring at the jackal's rump as she walked away, Clayton gave him a distracted nod. "Yeah, sure."

Moments later, staring at his reflection in the small bathroom mirror, Nick let his mind drift back over the last twenty-four hours.

After Judy had been...incapacitated...he'd practically gone into a frenzy. Apparently, he'd tried to bite Fangmeyer a few times before Francine brought him back with a couple of well-place slaps to the muzzle. He hadn't been very happy watching Wolford handcuff his partner, but at least he'd been lucid.

They obviously couldn't put her in the general holding cells so, for want of a better alternative, Judy had been locked in the drunk tank. By that time, Clawhauser had already placed a call to the city's mental health department, and they were sending some specialists in a transport van to transfer her to Zootopia General's mental health ward.

Tasers, though highly effective, didn't have the lasting effects of the ZPD's preferred tranquilizer darts. It had only taken her a few minutes to recover, after which she managed to fracture three toes trying to kick the cell open. They'd listened to her rage and pound on the steel door for nearly fifteen minutes before deciding that something had to be done. It had taken three officers to wrestle the bunny into a straightjacket, and one of them had been injured in the process. Judy had only needed a split-second to get a solid kick in, rewarding Grizzoli's momentary carelessness with a broken jaw.

With her limbs secured, she had alternated between screaming curses and snapping at anyone who got close enough. He couldn't remember who had made the suggestion to muzzle her, but it made Nick sick to his stomach that he had agreed. He kept telling himself that it was what Judy would have wanted, that she would have considered the safety of her fellow officers to be a priority. Not just because this screaming, rage-filled version of Judy scared him to death.

The transport van had arrived not long afterward, and took the thrashing bunny away.

Rather than travelling with her, Nick had gone to Chief Bogo and asked to be the one to contact Judy's parents. He insisted that his relationship with the Hopps family might soften the blow. The buffalo agreed, and let Nick use his office to make the call. Pressing his phone to his ear, he'd been going over the carefully prepared sentences in his head when Bonnie had answered the phone. All his words had vanished in a heartbeat, taking his once-impenetrable composure with them, and he just said the first thing that came to him; Judy was in the hospital, and he didn't know what to do.

If he'd had any lingering doubt about whether Judy's forceful personality came from her mother, Bonnie had dispelled that in an instant with a barrage of rapid-fire questions.

What happened? What condition was Judy in? How fast did they need to be there? Would the train be enough, or should they fly in from Bunnyburrow Airfield? Judy had a rare blood type, but she had 19 siblings that shared it – should they bring any of them along?

He'd answered them as well as he could, mostly with 'I don't know', before the next salvo nearly floored him.

Was _he_ alright? Was he safe? Where was he? Was there anything they could do to help him right then? Did he need them to call anyone for him?

He hadn't meant to start crying, but Bonnie's last question had suddenly reminded him that his own parents were long gone. Judy was the centre of his entire world, and the sudden thought that she might be lost left him feeling utterly directionless. It had taken him a second to realize that Bonnie was still talking, and the last thing she said before hanging up still echoed in his ears.

"Stu and I will be on the next train into the city. Go to the hospital now and we'll meet you there. We love you, Nick. Everything is going to be okay."

By the time Nick had arrived at Zootopia General, Judy had been moved to the high-security area of the mental health wing – the same place that held the predators affected by the Night Howler serum. He'd stood at the window to Judy's room for hours, staring at the heavily-restrained bunny fought against the straps holding her down. Even after Stu and Bonnie arrived, taking up the spot beside him, his eyes had never wavered from his partner.

The medical staff had run every test they could think of but, though no one had said it aloud, many officers feared that she'd just suffered a nervous breakdown. Her tendency to take on tremendous amounts of work was infamous, and there had been some speculation as to whether the bunny might be working herself into an early grave.

When the results came back on Judy's blood test, he'd nearly wept with relief when her condition was revealed to have been chemically-induced. In the wake of that joy, however, came a smoldering rage he was all too familiar with.

The only thing Nick hated more than drugs were the scum that sold them. As a rookie, he'd nearly ended his career with the ZPD by beating the hell out of some nip dealer he and Judy had caught selling in a schoolyard. Bogo had suspended him for a week and ordered him to attend six months of anger management counselling. He'd been lucky that was the worst he got, but although his temper had eased over the years, that hatred burned as strongly as ever.

Though his heart was desperate for him to stay at Judy's side, his brain demanded that he hunt down those responsible for putting her there. He'd felt like he was being ripped in two, at least until he'd eventually accepted that there was nothing he could do for her where he was. Like he'd told Clayton, Judy wouldn't want him moping around the hospital when he could be out in the city, making a difference. He'd tried to apologize to her parents, but they weren't having any of it and told him to go do what he knew was right.

It hadn't been easy to convince Bogo to keep him on the case, but he'd summoned up the same tenacity his partner was so well known for and eventually prevailed. The only flaw was that he'd been tied to a hyena who seemed more concerned with his stomach than with solving the case they'd been given.

He wasn't sure when his eyes had fallen shut, but when he opened them to look into the mirror again he wasn't surprised to find that his face had twisted into an angry snarl, ears flat and lips curled back. There was no way he was going to play second string to some knucklehead from vice who probably didn't give a damn if Judy lived or died. Not when he had the knowledge and connections to run these bastards down.

Opening the bathroom door as quietly as he could manage, he crept down the hallway and glanced around the corner, confirming that the hyena he'd been saddled with was distracted by something on his phone. Approaching from behind on light paws, Nick got to within reach of the jacket Clayton had draped over his chair. Once again, the skills he'd learned on the street came in handy as he reached into the jacket's pocket and nimbly extracted the car keys.

It wouldn't be the first time his relatively small size proved to be an advantage as he made for the exit, rushing between chairs and wilting potted plants, thankful that Clayton had chosen the seat facing the kitchen rather than the door.

Bursting out into Sahara Square's bright sunshine, he didn't hesitate to sprint for the unmarked cruiser they'd arrived in. Pulling out of the small parking lot, Nick opened the car's GPS terminal and punched in the address for the receiving and distribution warehouse used by Spring Harvest. In the process of trying to decipher Judy's scattered case notes, his research had led him to an interesting lead - it just so happened that they knew someone who worked there.

* * *

"Douggie!" Nick shouted, smiling when the ram turned to scowl angrily at him. "It's been too long, pal!"

"Oh, hell. What do you want this time, Wilde?"

During Bellwether's trial, the DA's office had offered Doug Ramses a plea bargain; testify against the former Assistant-Mayor in return for a lighter sentence. Naturally, Doug hadn't hesitated to look out for his own interests. He'd turned on Bellwether in a heartbeat and delivered the damning testimony that put the ewe behind bars.

That never sat well with Nick, particularly considering that Doug had been the one actually darting predators. The Assistant District Attorney Nick had spoken to pointed out that the only evidence they had of that was circumstantial at best. No one had ever _seen_ the ram do it and there was no recording of his last conversation with Bellwether.

It was at Ramses' own trial that things started to unravel.

The charge for the possession & manufacture of illicit drugs was the first to fall apart. The ram's lawyer argued that under Zootopian law, the Night Howler serum didn't qualify as a drug. Rather, it was a perfectly legal botanical extract from a flower that was sold in florist's shops all over the city. Once that was out, the testimonies of Weaselton and the other two rams involved, Woolter and Jesse, became almost useless.

The map and photographs Nick and Judy had seen in the subway car had been lost to the fire, and what little equipment that had been recovered from the crash could be found in any high school chemistry class.

Attempted assault of a police officer went next. Unlike Woolter and Jesse, Doug had never even attempted to harm them. Also, since both Nick and Judy had been civilians at the time, the city hadn't been willing to push that one.

They'd even tried going after him for impersonating a reporter during the now infamous press conference, but that was handily dismissed as well. The ZPD lobby was a public place, and Doug had never explicitly stated that he was a reporter.

The only charges the Assistant District Attorney managed to hold on to were conspiracy to commit a felony and illegally trespassing on city property, and that was only because a bank security camera caught Doug exiting a restricted-access subway tunnel. In the end, a judge had handed down the most severe sentence he could justify – two years on probation and time served.

That being said, the ram's face had still been plastered all over every newspaper in the city, so although he managed to evade formal charges, he didn't fare as well in the court of public opinion. Even with a Ph.D. in bio-chemistry, he had no chance of finding work in that field; the same was true for every level of academia.

The best job the infamous ram was able to get was as a warehouse laborer in South Savanna Central, which was exactly where Nick found him.

"What? Can't I just check in on an old friend?"

"We aren't friends, _officer_."

"Mammals these days; no time for pleasantries." He shook his head in mock-disappointment. "Fine. What do you know about a company called Spring Harvest?"

"Nothing." The ram answered curtly.

"You sure?"

"Bite me."

"Thanks, but I already ate." The fox smirked.

"Y'know what? Screw you. I've been keeping my nose clean and steering clear of those that don't." The ram jabbed an angry hoof toward the detective. "I may not like preds, but I'll take them over the inside of a prison cell."

"Still looking out for number one, eh?" Glancing around the warehouse floor, he was quick to notice all the eyes that watched them.

"You're goddamn right I am." Doug muttered, returning to the conveyer belt where he began labelling each box as it rolled by.

"Well, if you've been so good about avoiding trouble, I bet you've got a pretty good idea about where trouble is."

He didn't look up, but Nick could hear the scowl in the ram's voice. "You're not gonna let up on this, are you?"

"Not as long as I think you're holding out on me."

"Look, all I can tell you is that every couple of weeks we get a truck in from Spring Harvest that only certain workers are allowed to unload. When they're done, the cargo goes on another truck and leaves."

"Where's it going?"

"The hell if I know. They don't tell me, and I don't ask."

"You sure that's everything?"

Doug hesitated. "There's this ram that came in a couple times to oversee the transfer. Definitely in charge, but it was like nobody wanted to talk to him."

"What'd he look like?"

"Didn't see him too close, but he looked like an ugly fucker. Big scar on his neck, missing some wool on one shoulder. Looked like an old burn."

"That all you got?"

"Yeah. Now piss off before you get me fired."

Backing away, Nick scowled and raised his voice. "C'mon, Douggie! The ZPD uncovers a Night Howler grow op in an old subway tunnel, and you expect me to believe you don't know anything about it?!"

Doug blinked in surprise, but caught on quickly. "I already told ya, I got nothing to do with that! And if you keep coming around here every time someone grows one of those fucking flowers, I'm gonna get you charged with harassment!"

"Good luck with _that_." The fox snarled. "I know you're involved, Ramses! And I'm gonna pick that tunnel apart till I can prove it!"

Just as Nick reached the exit, Doug briefly shot him a look that could _almost_ be called grateful. There was no doubt in Nick's mind that the ram was a piece of garbage, but he'd provided some halfway decent information. Keeping him from getting pegged as a snitch was the least Nick could do in exchange.

He still needed to know more, though, and the best place to follow-up on Doug's tip was with the most deeply embedded information network in the city's underbelly. He always told Carrots that he knew everybody, and took great pride on keeping one paw on the city's pulse. It helped keep him one step ahead of things, and he'd lost track of how many times that step had been the difference between a profitable day and an icy swim. His information sources, though – newspapers, online forums, and good old-fashioned rumor mills – were never quite as effective as the direct-from-the-source knowledge gleaned by the working girls in Happytown.

If you showed a mammal a good time, he (or occasionally she) tended to start running off at the mouth. That was why those girls had access to the kind of information that the Major Crimes division could only dream of, and the leverage to keep just about anyone from messing with them.

Nick just had to find one that wasn't too pissed off at him to share.

* * *

"Hey there, Roxxie. How've you been?"

"Hey bab...oh. It's _you_." The vixen shot him a disdainful look. "How can I help you, _officer_?"

"I'm looking for someone."

"Good for you, Nicky, but I don't snitch. Bad for business."

"Trust me, this one is no customer of yours. Big problem with sharp teeth. I don't have a name, but I'm looking for a ram with a big scar on the neck and a bald patch on one shoulder from an old burn – tough to miss."

Roxxie's eyes briefly widened in surprise, then her scowl deepened. "I don't know anything about him."

"You sure? Because I last time I checked, there wasn't much you girls didn't know."

"Look, Wilde. You're either buyin' or you're not. If you're not, then quit bothering girls who're just tryin' to earn a buck."

"Just give me a name and I'll be on my way."

"Not happening, Nicky." Rolling her eyes, she began to walk away from the annoyed fox.

"Wait!" Nick scrambled after, running to catch up with the vixen. "Roxxie, hold up! Look, I know it's been a while but..."

"Yeah, Nicky. It has." The vixen responded flatly. "I haven't seen you since you traded your old friends for that badge."

"Please, you must have something you can give me."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Why's this so important to you?"

"My partner got hurt. She got exposed to some new drug, and I think this ram is the one bringing it into the city."

"How's that my problem? Is taking down some drug dealer gonna make her all better?"

"No." He admitted, sadly. "But if I can't do anything to help her recover, at least I can do _something_ about what hurt her."

"C'mon, Nicky." She shook her head. "We go way back, but giving you what you're askin' for is a great way for me to end up floatin' in the bay."

" _Please,_ Rox."

It was the note of desperation in his voice that caught her attention. Taking a moment to look him over, she stepped forward and delicately sniffed the air around him, eyes widening in surprise. "Your partner is that bunny, right?"

He nodded.

"And she got hurt by this ram you're after."

Nick nodded again, a little more seriously.

"And you _need_ to do something about it. Because she's your..." She briefly glanced over his shoulder at another pair of vixens who'd begun watching the exchange with interest. "...partner."

"That's right."

She took another light sniff. "Does _she_ know that?"

"I'm not sure. I think so." Nick looked away in embarrassment. "We haven't really talked about it."

"Damn it, Nicky." Roxxie muttered to herself. "Fine. Babe's Diner in the Meadowlands. Now get outta here."

"Thank you, Roxxie. I owe you one!"

"Oh, shut up. I didn't do it for you. If she's kept you around this long, she probably needs you as much as you need her. We vixens gotta look out for each other."

"But she's a..."

"Know when to stop talking, Nicky." Taking his paw, she gave it a gentle squeeze. "Good luck."

As Nick took off down the street, the nearby vixens wandered over to Roxxie.

"What was all that about?" One of them asked. "Ain't he a cop?"

"Yeah." She replied. "But we go way back. He's from the neighborhood."

"What'd he want?"

"He was asking about Manger."

"What?! Rox, you didn't say anything, right?"

"Sure I did. Told him to go to Babe's."

"Are you fuckin' _insane_?! Why the hell would you do that?!"

Roxxie turned to glare at them. "Because that scarred bastard put his mate in the hospital."

"He did?"

Roxxie nodded, and the girls' expressions darkened.

"Fuck him, then. I hope that tod rips him a new one."

* * *

Driving north toward the Meadowlands, Nick took the opportunity to call Judy's doctor for an update. The badger had been kind enough to give Nick his personal phone number, and answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Doc."

 _"_ _Detective."_

Nick, not interested in wasting time on pleasantries, got right to the point. "How is she?"

 _"_ _She's stable."_ The doctor responded patiently. _"Her heart rate is almost back to normal and she appears to be sleeping naturally."_

"Is she...has she woken up at all?"

 _"_ _Not yet, Detective. When she does, I assure you that you'll be the first one I call."_

"Okay. Are her parents still there?"

 _"_ _No. I sent them back to their hotel to get some sleep."_ The doctor chuckled softly over the line. _"They didn't go quietly, though. Detective Hopps' mother certainly has a formidable personality."_

"She sure does." He spotted the sign for the Meadowlands exit and let out a weary sigh. "I've gotta go. When you talk to them, tell them I'll be there as soon as I can be."

 _"_ _I will."_

"Thanks." Hanging up, he tucked the phone back into his pocket as he guided the car to the off-ramp. The cruiser's GPS guided him onto Clover Way, which in turn took him through several miles of open fields. He briefly considered checking in with Precinct Twelve, but decided not to bother; it was doubtful that they'd have anything new to offer him. Not to mention that, considering he had _technically_ taken an unmarked cruiser without permission to go off on his own unauthorized investigation, they might actually have orders to detain him.

He eventually arrived to discover that Babe's Diner, nestled on the side of a road and surrounded by acres of pastoral landscape, wasn't a particularly remarkable looking place.

Truth be told, though, few places in the Meadowlands were much to look at. Even having lived in the city his entire life, he'd still only come out this way a pawful of times, most of them since he'd joined the ZPD. The entire district was a rather sleepy place, where most of the mammals there were the kind of herd-prey that lived in small, tight-knit communities – the kind of communities with modest homes, immaculate lawns, and high fences.

Putting on an air of cool confidence, he moseyed into the diner and calmly took a seat at the counter. Picking up a plastic-covered menu, he barely had an opportunity to read the lunch special before the waitress yanked it from his paws. "We don't serve yer kind here."

"Predators?" He flipped his wallet open to reveal his badge. "Or just cops?"

"Either." The ewe responded flatly, turning her head to spit a fair-sized wad of cud into a nearby sink.

"Good thing I'm not here for the food, then. I'm looking for a ram."

"Plenty of rams come in here."

"Oh, I think you'd remember this one." Nick insisted. "Scary-looking fella, scars on the neck and shoulder."

"Never seen him." She answered shortly.

"That's a shame."

"Ain' it just." She drawled. "Now get out."

"Actually, I think I'll hang around for a bit." Nick's phone buzzed and he unlocked it to find a message from Bonnie, asking where he was. "Maybe he'll come by."

" _Actually_ ," The ewe echoed mockingly. "It looks like you won't have to wait."

Looking up, he found the waitress wearing a nasty grin that immediately set off every alarm bell in his head. The ewe's gaze shifted to something behind him as a shadow fell over them both, but before Nick could turn to defend himself a hammer-like blow landed on the back of his head and the world went dark.

* * *

END PART II


	29. Analysis - Pt III

**_[Continued from Analysis – Pt II]_**

* * *

Nick came to slowly, fighting the painful return to consciousness. At first, the only thing he was aware of was the intense throbbing in his head. After a few minutes a whole collection of aches and pains made themselves known. Wherever he was, it was cold; too cold for his light summer coat. Despite the frosty air, though, his snout felt as though it were on fire. It was too dark to see, even for him, but a quick flick of his tongue confirmed his suspicions; whoever had tied him up had smeared horseradish across his nose. The spicy paste made his eyes water and threatened to overpower him.

Shaking his head, he tried to focus on his surroundings. He was seated in a wooden chair that was just a little too large for him. His paws were bound tightly to the chairs arms with plastic zip-ties, and the sharp plastic was already digging painfully into his wrists. His feet were bound as well, lashed to the chair legs in such a way that there was no leverage to be found.

The hollow way the sound of his breathing echoed told him that he was being held somewhere with metal walls; possibly a shed. The walls were thick though, and as his head cleared he recognized the constant hum of a nearby fan, probably an air conditioner. That made a cooler more likely, maybe a refrigerator truck.

The door swung open without warning, exposing his eyes to a painful burst of light. Blinking rapidly to clear the spots from his vision, Nick confirmed his surroundings as a large walk-in fridge. A stocky ram stood in the doorway, sneering at him. "Have a nice nap, pelt?"

"N-not really." Nick fired back, trying to control his chattering teeth. "T-t-the service here is t-t-terrible. You g-guys aren't going t-to like the r-review I l-leave on Howl."

"That's funny. You're a funny one, aren't ya?" The ram's smile was anything but comforting. "Why are you here?"

"I heard..." Nick coughed loudly, trying to breathe through his mouth. "I heard the hash-browns were good."

The ram nodded thoughtfully, then lashed out with a jarring punch to the side of Nick's head. Blinking rapidly as he tried to clear the spots from his vision, he refocused in time to see the ram produce a small whetstone from one pocket, then pull a pair of razer-sharp shears from a sheath on his belt. Spitting on the stone, he began to slowly run each blade along its surface.

"Why are you here?" He repeated.

"H-health department. Someone reported rats in the kitchen... _cough..._ not wearing fur-nets."

"Don't test my patience, you mangy cur." The ram growled. Yanking the fox's head back, he practically snarled in Nick's face. "Tell me all about your investigation. What are you looking for? What brought you _here_?"

"Wha...what investigation?" Nick smirked crookedly. "I just sell pawpsicles, pal."

"Smart-mouthed little pissant, aren't ya? Maybe this'll brighten up that bad attitude." He held up Nick's phone, laughing at the fox's shocked expression as he mockingly read the text aloud. "Bonnie sent you a little message. Apparently, Judy is doing better but she's still asleep, and the doctor says that the drugs are almost entirely out of her system. Well, ain't that sweet."

"Shut it."

"Not such a smartass now, are ya? See, a quick Zoogle search of your name told me _exactly_ who Judy is. Poor little bunny. Is she not feeling well?"

"Fuck you." Nick hissed through clenched teeth.

"Y'know, I'd be more than willing to send a couple of the boys over to the hospital to keep her company."

Nick surged against his bonds, barely feeling them dig into his skin. "You stay away from her, you son of a bitch!"

"Son of an _ewe_ , pelt!" The ram drove a punch into Nick's gut, dropping the fox back into his seat. "Bitches are your kind's problem."

As Nick gasped for air, the ram leaned back and tucked the fox's phone away. "Our truck gets impounded after an accident, one cop ends up in the hospital for something to do with drugs, another shows up here askin' questions? Doesn't take a genius to put the pieces together."

Nick glared at the other mammal, but didn't respond.

"I bet that fluffball of yours got a nice hefty dose of Night Fury, didn't she?" He laughed, slapping a hoof on his knee. "A cute little bunny all jacked up on Fury! When did she go off, huh? Back at the station? Damn...a bunch of cops running scared from a little prey bunny musta been a sight to see!"

He seemed bemused when Nick began laughing softly. "What's so damn funny, pelt?"

"I...I'm just picturing that _little prey bunny..._ " He looked up to stare the ram in the eye. "...kicking six shades of shit outta you."

"Oh, please. Don't compare prey to a bunch of mindless chompers." The ram drew the shear blade across the whetstone again. "Prey stand together. We always have, even in the days when your kind would tear each other's throats out over a tree to piss on."

Leaning forward, he pushed the tips of the shears painfully into Nick's chest. "Preds are _born_ savage. It's been covered by a thin veneer of civility, but all it took was one little flower to reveal what's always been there. Thousands of years ago, you existed to keep prey populations under control by weeding out the sick and the weak. We can do that just fine on our own now. The entirety of Mammalia has evolved beyond the need for you, pelt. You're biologically redundant."

Nick winced, but still managed a faint grin. "I...I bet you practiced that in the mirror."

"Y'know, all you need to tell me what I want to know is your tongue and one ear. Everything else is expendable." The ram casually informed him. "But all you gotta do is answer a few questions and you can be on your way."

Nick gave him a look somewhere between disbelief and disgust, drawing a cruel laugh from his captor. "Shoulda known you wouldn't buy that. How 'bout this; you tell me who tipped you off about me, and I'll kill you quick."

"Santa Claws. Turns out you've been naughty. Who knew?"

"Keep up the attitude, pelt. The boys are gettin' restless, and I got no problem tying you to a post and using you for ramming practice. The last pred we lashed up puked four times before he died." The ram frowned. "Godawful stink. I always forget how nasty pred puke smells. Like you're already rotting on the inside." Holding the shears up to Nick's face, he snapped the blades together. "Anyplace you'd like me to start?"

"J-just a little off the top."

"You're the boss." He reached up and Nick let out a pained yelped, clenching his eyes shut as the steel shears bit into the edge of his ear once, then again. When is vision refocused, he looked down at the ram's hoof to see a tiny triangular piece of flesh. "Preview of coming events, pelt. Feeling chatty yet?"

Nick was saved from having to answer when a scrawny sheep, barely out of his teens, pulled the cooler door open. "Hey, Gordon! Shepherd is in the diner!"

"Grant?" The ram's eyes narrowed. "What does that little piss stain want now?"

"I think someone told him about the cop." The younger sheep gestured toward Nick. "He keeps sayin' he wants to talk to you."

"Alright, go get him, bring him around back. Have one of the boys search him, too." The ram cast a sidelong glance at Nick. "Last thing we need is him growing a conscience."

"Domestic troubles?" The fox coughed. "Want me to come back another time?"

Sparing him a contemptuous look, the ram grabbed him by the collar and shoved him backward, chair and all. He teetered uncertainly for a second, then pitched over and landed on his side with a pained hiss.

"Don't you go anywhere." The ram chuckled, half-turning back before he closed the door. "I'll be right back."

* * *

"Gordon, this is getting out of control!" Shepherd cried. "We had a simple deal. I agreed to transport your product into the city, and you cut me in for 20 percent of the profit. It was a pretty goddamn good deal, but I don't recall _killing cops_ being a part of it."

"Which is why _I'm_ the one taking care of it." The ram, Gordon, responded evenly. "Everything will be back to normal soon enough."

"I have the ZPD crawling all over my _business_! This is pretty fucking far from _normal!_ "

Growling, Gordon stepped forward and got right in the agitated bighorn sheep's face. "You're a fucking drug smuggler, Grant. You might want to reassess your definition of normal."

"I..."

"Is there anything at your warehouse that can implicate you?"

"N-no."

Gordon leaned a little closer. "Is there anything that can implicate _me_?"

"No, I swear!"

"Then what's the fucking problem?"

"I...I..."

"Get the fuck out of here, Grant." Gordon grabbed the bighorn by the arm and hauled him toward the parking out front. "Go home, smoke a little nip, think about your bank account in Boara Boara, and leave the grown-up stuff to me."

"But...okay."

"Good boy."

* * *

"Not good." Nick muttered to himself as he tugged against his restraints, hissing in pain as they dug in. "This is so not good."

Looking around for something to free himself with, he soon realized that he only had one tool to work with. Taking a deep breath, he began deliberately twisting his paw, clenching his teeth as the cold zip-tie cut into his skin. Slowly, gradually, his claw drew closer until he could just touch the tie. He began methodically picking at the plastic, maintaining as much tension as he could manage. Ignoring the blood that had begun to seep through his fur, he focused on the incrementally widening gap in his restraints. Finally, the combination of cold, tension, and the damage Nick had caused proved too much and the brittle plastic snapped apart.

Acutely aware that his captor could return at any moment, he got to work on his remaining bonds. He made short work of the other zip-tie and quickly untied his legs. Frantically searching the cooler for some kind of weapon, he reached behind one of the shelf stacks, felt his paw wrap around a wooden shaft, and withdrew what turned out to be a mildew covered mop.

Holding his forearm against the handle, he estimated about a two-foot length and broke it over his knee. He tested its weight with one paw as he closed his eyes and mentally reviewed the baton training he'd received at the academy.

Taking a slow, deep breath, he stepped toward the door and placed his paw on the handle. Throwing the cooler door open, he was immediately confronted with the youth he'd seen earlier. Eyes wide with terror, the sheep drew a breath to cry for help. Nick leaped forward, swinging his makeshift baton into the young sheep's jaw with an audible crack.

Wasting no time dragging the unconscious mammal into the cooler, Nick closed and secured the heavy door. Casting his eyes around, he quickly spotted an old rotary phone on the wall. Practically leaping on it, he breathed deeply and steadied his paw long enough to dial three numbers.

" _911 emergency, how may I direc..."_

"This is Detective Nicholas Wilde, Precinct One, badge number five seven zero three. I need backup immediately at Babe's d- _ugh!"_

Nick's side exploded in pain as he was knocked violently away from the phone. He slammed into a nearby wall and the burning in his side told him he had at least one cracked rib. Looking up, he wasn't surprised to see the ram – Gordon, the youth had called him – glaring at him. Looking past the ram, however, Nick spotted his taser lying on a desk across the room, where it appeared to have been tossed haphazardly.

Eyes burning with rage, Gordon picked up the phone and viciously smashed it against the floor. "That was a stupid move, pelt."

"Wouldn't be my first today." Clutching his side, Nick struggled to his feet and glared defiantly at his attacker. Hefting his improvised weapon, he used his free paw to gesture the ram forward. "Come on, then. Let's see how tough you are against someone who's not tied to a chair."

Roaring with anger, Gordon lowered his horns and charged.

Waiting until his opponent was almost within reach, he swung the baton in a tight arc, forcing Gordon to twist his head to one side to avoid the strike and altering the ram's course enough to side-step the charge. As the ram thundered past, Nick lashed out with his other paw, claws digging a trio of bloody furrows across the ram's nose. Gordon reared back with a howl of pain. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Nick pressed his advantage and drove as hard a kick as he could manage into the ram's side.

Suddenly off-balance, the larger mammal careened into a shelving unit holding an impressive collection of alcohol. As the shelves tipped, most of the bottles fell to the ground, breaking open and soaking the ram to the skin.

Not waiting for Gordan to get his hooves back under him, Nick leaped toward the desk where his taser lay. He prayed to every god he could think of that he reached the weapon before the ram reached him.

Nick had always preferred the ZPD tactical taser over the standard issue compressed air tranquilizer pistol. Although it arguably lacked the versatility of a tranquilizer dart, it made up for it with sheer stopping power. Each unit packed a high-capacity power cell originally developed for use in military reconnaissance drones, and the discharge level could be adjusted for anything from an elephant down to...well...a bunny.

He could have sung with joy when his paw wrapped around the weapon's grip. He spot-checked the wire cartridge and flipped the safety off with a smooth and practiced motion as he spun back around. Expecting to have at least seven feet of distance between them, he didn't have time to react to the ram standing only a foot away. One of Gordon's sharp hooves dug into his neck, cutting off the air as he held Nick off the ground. The other took an iron grip on the fox's wrist, forcing the taser to point upward.

"Lemme ask you something; if you're the big bad predator, what does that make me?"

Looking up, a terrible plan began to form in Nick's mind.

Face twisted in rage, he shook the fox angrily. "Answer me, pelt! What does that make me?!"

"T...toa..."

Loosening his grip slightly, the ram mockingly tilted one ear toward him. "Speak up, pelt. I can't hear ya."

Taking a much-needed breath, Nick let it out as a deep growl. "You're toast, asshole!"

His thumb deftly set the taser to its maximum output - a setting designed to drop a raging elephant in its tracks. Firing into the light fixture above them, the weapon discharged its entire power cell in less than a second, overloading the outlet and bringing a shower of sparks raining down on the pair of them. The alcohol that permeated Gordon's wool ignited almost instantly.

The ram dropped Nick immediately, frantically beating at his wool and rolling on the ground to extinguish the flames. Nick took off running the second his paws hit the floor and didn't look back. Bursting through the door into the main diner, he had less than a second to register the sight of a moose in a ZPD uniform before he got a face-first introduction to a hoof the size of his head.

* * *

"I'm real sorry, detective." The embarrassed moose – Officer McKenzie from Precinct Twelve - handed Nick a fresh ice pack. "I didn't mean to knock you that hard."

Nick waved off the apology. "Don't worry about it. If a blood-covered fox holding a taser came running at me, I'd have done exactly the same thing." He hissed as he pressed the cold bag to his throbbing skull. "Though maybe with a little less head smashing."

"Too right, eh?" The much larger officer chuckled, accepting Nick's forgiveness but still looking like he wanted to apologize some more.

"How about we call it two minutes for rough-housing?" The pair turned to see McKenzie's partner, a polar bear _also_ named McKenzie, sauntering over.

"How'd you guys get here so fast, anyway?" Nick wondered. "I only made the call to 911 about five minutes before you arrived. You must have been right around the corner."

"I dunno about any call, detective. We just pulled over this hoser over here for a burnt-out tail light." The bear McKenzie pointed to a mammal in the back of their cruiser; Nick instantly recognized Grant Shepherd from his company's website. "I swear, I didn't even have time to ask for his license before he starts cryin' and confessing to all sorts of stuff. We thought it was funny as hell 'til he started going on about a cop getting' killed. Better believe we bust our hindparts gettin' here after that."

"Well, I'm glad you guys made it."

"Yeah, 'cause you sure needed our help." The moose McKenzie snorted, gesturing to the mostly wool-less ram being loaded into a waiting ambulance.

"Well, thanks for the rescue all the same."

"Forget about it." "We owe you big time, eh. We've been tryin' to pin something on Gordon Manger for _months._ "

"Happy to help, but...uh...have either of you guys seen my car? It's an unmarked cruiser."

The pair glanced at one another uncomfortably. "Well, we _have_ seen it..."

"And?"

"Well...you see..." The moose McKenzie began. "It's kinda...

His partner came to his rescue. "It's about three miles up the road at the auto-wreckers. Thing is, it's not really an unmarked cruiser anymore. More like an unmarked cube."

"Wonderful. Bogo's gonna have my hide for this." He sighed, absently rubbing the bandages on his wrists. "Don't suppose you guys could give me a lift to Zootopia General?"

"Sorry, no can do. We gotta stay here till the scene is cleared, then we gotta get our new friend there to booking." The moose McKenzie pointed behind him. "Besides, you should probably take an ambulance. You got pretty banged up."

"No thanks to this hosehead, eh?" The bear McKenzie laughed, giving his partner a friendly punch in the shoulder.

"Hey!" The moose McKenzie scowled. "Take off, you hoser! I already said I was sorry!"

"Guess I better get going then." Nick stood slowly, wincing as his body loudly announced every injury. "Hey, I didn't catch your guys' first names."

"I'm Bob." The moose McKenzie gestured to the bear McKenzie. "He's Doug. Anytime you wanna grab a beer and catch a city-league game, just c'mon out to Precinct Twelve and ask for the McKenzie brothers."

"Y'know, I think I'll probably do that."

The brief shuffle to the waiting ambulance gave Nick a moment to think and, as the EMT helped him onto the gurney, the fox let out a pained groan. The EMT leaned over, giving him a concerned look. "You alright, detective? Where does it hurt?"

"I'll live. It's just..." He shook his head. "I still can't believe I said toast. Honestly... _toast?_ "

The concerned expression slowly morphed into bewilderment. "Uh...okay. You just take it easy, pal. We'll be at Zootopia General in about ten minutes."

* * *

Just a few weeks before her seventh birthday, Judy Hopps had already decided what she was going to be when she grew up. The little bunny's love of mysteries, inquisitive mind, courageous heart and natural determination made the choice obvious – she was going to be a cave explorer.

Naturally, she wasted no time informing her parents about her decision, rushing into the kitchen to wow them with her choice of future career. Upon learning that their six-year-old daughter wanted to spend her life deep below the earth's surface, crawling through labyrinths of stone that the sun had never touched, they'd reacted just as you'd expect a pair of simple bunny farmers to react – with a hearty laugh and soft pat on their daughter's head. After all, it hadn't been so long ago that she'd aspired to be a fire truck.

Judy, however, was undeterred. They'd see! She would learn everything about climbing and geology and exploration – she already knew how to tie eight different knots! She'd be a world-renowned expert in all things underground!

Unfortunately, her passion was slightly hampered by the lack of access to any unexplored caves. Even the Hopps Burrow, large and deep as it was, bore no mysteries - you couldn't even find a place with a poor wi-fi signal. The closest thing she was able to find was an old well in the northeast fields. Intent on uncovering its mysteries, Judy had set out with a flashlight, some rope, and two sandwiches in her small backpack.

When she reached her 'cave', she'd carefully looped her rope around the wooden structure above the opening. But although she'd tied the rope tightly enough, the beam she'd secured it to had been exposed to the elements for too many years. She was only three-quarters of the way down when it gave way.

She yelled and yelled until her voice gave out, but no one came to save her. Slowly, the small circle of sky above her faded from blue to orange to deep red, until eventually it was so dark that she couldn't even see her own paws. Her small pink flashlight had held the darkness at bay, for a short while. Judy had forgotten to check the batteries, though, and as the little light began to fade she had felt her courage fade with it.

She didn't know how long she'd sat in the dark, willing herself not to cry, when the cold silence was suddenly pierced by the shouts of several mammals outside the well. Aiming her ears upward, she could faintly hear her mother's voice, frantically calling her daughter's name.

"Here!" She'd cried at the top of her lungs. "Mama, I'm here!"

"We found her!" Had come the response. "She's in the well!"

Soon after, she watched with joy as a figure was lowered down from the well opening. As they grew closer, she eventually recognized Deputy Burton from the Sheriff's office. She'd seen him a few times before, either walking around town or driving one of her older brothers back home after they'd had a few too many drinks. The friendly armadillo reached down to her and she leaped into his arms.

The way she'd felt when the deputy carried her from that well and into her mother's arms had changed Judy's life forever.

Now, though, Judy was beginning to fear that it had all been a dream; that maybe she was still trapped in that well. The darkness around her was so thick that it felt like a wet blanket. No matter how many times she cried out for help, the only response she received was her own echoing voice.

No one had come for her. Not her mom or her dad or Deputy Burton or...Nick! If anyone could find her, it'd be him! He'd sniff her out, or spot her with those eyes of his! She just had to give him a little help! Even if she couldn't climb out of the well herself, maybe she just needed to get a bit closer to the opening. Reaching upward, she grasped the first pawhold she could. It felt strong and reminded her of the vine that had once carried her and Nick to safety. The next outcropping curved upward a little, like a snarky little smile.

One paw after another, she slowly climbed out of the darkness. She just had to get a little higher, she told herself; then her partner would be able to reach her. Straining her ears, she could almost hear his voice calling her, encouraging her to keep going. Looking up, she could see the sky beginning to brighten. The sunrise was coming, and she was almost at the top. She could definitely hear someone speaking, but it was tough to make out the words; it was as though her ears had been stuffed with cotton.

At last, Judy's paws reached the edge, and with one last effort she pulled herself out into the light.

* * *

"Judy. Judy, look at me sweetheart." She tried to do as she was asked, wincing painfully as she tried to block out the harsh light that assaulted her vision. "Stu, could you turn down the lights?"

The blinding glare eased, and Judy tentatively cracked her eyes once more. In the dim light, she could just make out the familiar shape looking down on her.

"M-mom?"

"Yes, sweetie. It's me." She felt a paw stroking her ears, bringing back old memories of being sick as a kitten.

"Wha..." She coughed harshly; trying to speak felt like swallowing sandpaper. It reminded her of the Fur Fighters concert Nick had taken her to, and the next day's painful reminder that she'd spent the previous evening shouting at the top of her lungs. "W...what happened? Where...am I?"

"Shh, now. Don't try to speak." She felt the end of a straw against her lips, and took a hesitant sip. The ice-cold water felt blissful on her stinging throat. "You're in Zootopia General Hospital. You...had an accident, but the doctors think you're going to be alright."

She wanted to ask more, to try and understand the situation, but it felt like the mere act of opening her eyes had already exhausted her. Slipping back into the darkness, the last thing she heard was her mother's voice.

"Stay here with her. I'll let Nick know she's awake."

* * *

The next time Judy woke, she felt considerably more lucid. Unfortunately, with that clarity came the awareness of a hundred aches and pains, particularly in her feet.

"Hey, Jude the Dude. Back among the living, eh?" Easing her eyes open, she found her father gazing warmly at her. "How are you feeling, kiddo?"

"Head hurts." She muttered, but when she tried to reach up and massage her throbbing skull, she discovered that her paws were trapped at her sides. "Dad? What's going on? Why am I tied up?"

Her father gave her a queasy smile. "It's...complicated. A lot happened."

"I don't...what are you talking about?"

"It's okay, honey. Just relax." He took her paw and gave it a comforting squeeze. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I don't know...I was...I think I was talking to Nick?"

"Ah Ms. Hopps. You're awake!" Turning her head to one side, she saw a badger in a white coat enter the room.

"Who are...?"

"My name is Doctor Albert Forrest. I've been your attending physician since you arrived."

"Arrived? What's going on?

"The last thing she remembers is talking to Nick." Stu informed him. "How is he, anyway?"

"One thing at a time, Mr. Hopps." The doctor muttered, then smiled down at her. "What else, Ms. Hopps? Do you remember what you two were talking about?"

"I don't...why are you asking me so many questions?"

"It's going to be alright, Ms. Hopps." The Doctor assured her. "But it's important for you to remember as much as you can on your own."

"Please try, sweetie." Stu coaxed.

"I'm not...I got mad at him, but I can't remember why."

"Anything after that?"

"I...I was angry..." Her eyes began to fill with tears. "I was _so_ _angry_..."

"It's alright, Judy." She felt her father's paw stroking her ears. "You're almost there."

Judy squeezed her eyes shut, grasping for the fragments of memory that seemed to hover frustratingly out of reach. "I think I...oh god, did I pull a gun on Chief Bogo?"

"Actually, I'm told that you only _threatened_ to pull a gun on the Chief." Dr. Forrest assured her. "Although you did _fire_ a gun at your partner."

"W-what?!" She looked horrified at the very suggestion. "Why would I do that?"

"Having met the mammal personally, I'm surprised you were able to resist so long." He smiled. "He's fine, Ms. Hopps. I promise."

"Did I...should I keep trying to...?" Despite her agitation, she felt her eyelids grow heavy as exhaustion overtook her again.

"No, that's about as far as I'd expected the lucid memories to go. Though from what I understand, you're probably better off." He reached down, loosening the restraints that held her wrists. "You're going to be fine Ms. Hopps. Get some rest."

By the time he finished the sentence, she was already asleep.

* * *

Drifting up from the darkness again, the first thing she picked up was a familiar and deeply comforting musk. Cracking her eyelids, she turned toward the sound of light breathing to see a familiar and dearly missed face.

"...Nick." She croaked, instantly getting his attention.

"Hey, Carrots." Smiling, he slowly climbed out of his chair and shuffled to her side. "Nice to see you awake."

"Look at you." She took in his haggard appearance, particularly the bandages on his wrists and ear. "What happened?"

"Oh, I got shot." He replied offhandedly.

" _What?!_ " The bunny gasped, trying to rise up from the bed. " _Where?! Who?!_ "

"Carrots!" Nick laughed as he gently lay her back down. "Carrots, stop! I didn't really get shot!"

"Then why did you..."

"Compared to that, saying I got the crap kicked out of me doesn't sound so bad, does it?"

She gave a weary sigh, but couldn't hide her faint smile. "Jerk."

"Guilty." He grinned.

"What happened there?" She gestured to the top of his head. "Your ear..."

"Gardening accident. Besides, the ladies love scars, right?" He chuckled. "Don't worry, Carrots. I tell you the whole story when you're feeling a little more energetic."

* * *

"...so he's got me by the neck, right? I try kicking but I can't get past his wool, and all the alcohol fumes are starting to make me dizzy. He's got the other hoof on my wrist, so I can't get the taser aimed in his direction. Then he leans in and says 'If you're the big bad predator, what does that make me?'." Nick grinned when his partner started giggling at his terrible impression of Gordon's voice.

Thinking of the ram that had tried to kill him, Nick made a mental note to head down to visit the psychotic mammal a little later. Although he'd escaped any lasting burns, Gordon's wool had been so damaged from the flames that the nurses had been forced to shear him from head to toe. Judy had been in the hospital for a little under a week now, and during that time Nick had made a habit of sneaking into the wool-less ram's room every few hours and turning the thermostat down as far as it would go.

Judy had been extremely lucky; the Night Fury she'd been exposed to had been a relatively low dose, and although her turbo-charged metabolism's rapid absorption of the Night Fury was what had caused the extreme reaction, it had also processed the drug quickly enough to avoid any long-term effects. Most of her time in the hospital had been focused on the injuries she'd sustained _following_ her accidental overdose, particularly to the bones in her paws. Thankfully, the orthopedist assigned to her case had given her the green light to be discharged the following day.

"Well?! What did you say back?!" The excited bunny leaned forward in anticipation.

"Well, I said..." Nick winced slightly. "Right before I bravely fired the taser into the overhead lights, brilliantly using science to overcome a larger foe, I said...er...you're toast, asshole."

Judy let out a particularly loud snort, falling backward onto the bed as she descended into laughter.

"C'mon, Carrots. It isn't _that_ bad."

"Ha! Toast!" She cackled. "Oh my GOD!"

"What? So maybe I choked. I think that's understandable, considering I was actually _being choked at the time_!"

"Oh Nick!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Don't ever change."

Her comment, innocent as it was, suddenly left the fox feeling a little awkward. "Heh. Actually, speaking of change, there's something I kinda wanted to ask you about."

Her laughter petered out at the fox's serious tone. "What's that?"

"I don't know if you remember, but the day you, y'know." He waved a paw at the hospital bed. "Earlier on, before things went crazy, we'd just left Bogo's office and we were talking and you...uh..."

"...finally managed to ask you out?"

Nick's jaw snapped shut as his head slowly cocked to one side in confusion. "Wait, you remember that?"

"Yup." Blushing lightly, Judy gave him an embarrassed little shrug. "I've kinda been trying to work up the nerve for a while now."

"How long is a while?"

"Y'know...a while." She cleared her throat, fiddling with the edge of her blanket. "Maybe since the mannequin incident?"

"What?! That was six months ago!"

She shrugged, not quite making eye contact. "Maybe I like the whole chivalrous knight saving the damsel in distress thing. Just a little. Sometimes."

A slow smile crept back onto his face. "Just couldn't resist your dashing Don Coyote anymore, could you?"

"Nick, Don Coyote was a crazy mammal who wore a bowl as a hat and attacked windmills."

"And who _you_ want to go out to dinner with." He added smugly.

She rolled her eyes. "Are you really going to start teasing me about this?"

"Why not?" He smirked, leaning in until they were practically nose-to-nose. "Would you rather wait till _dinner_?"

"That's it!" She shouted, grabbing her pillow and swinging it into the side of the fox's face. "I don't wanna go out with you anymore! Smug foxes don't get to date pretty bunnies!"

"Nooooo!" He moaned dramatically, laughing as she got a few more playful hits in. Eventually though, he snatched the pillow away and replaced it behind her. "Alright, that's enough of that. You need to get some sleep. We've both had a long week."

"Yeah, yeah." Smiling, she let her head fall back onto the pillow as he gently brought the blanket up to her chin. "Hey, Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not leaving, are you?"

"Don't worry, Carrots." Returning to his chair by her bedside, he pulled his own blanket over his lap. "I'll always be here when you wake up."

"Good." She gave him a sleepy smile. "I'm gonna hold you to that one."

* * *

END


	30. Footnote

_"_ _Do you think history will remember us after we're gone?" Judy wondered idly as she eyed the passing cars._

 _"_ _Are you kidding me?" Nick grinned and cast his arms wide. "The History of Zootopia, Volume 4 – WildeHopps!"_

* * *

"Today we're going to be discussing the origins of the Mammalian Unified Rights Bill. More specifically, the social and political events that led up to it." The professor began stroking his beard as he paced back and forth before the assembled students. "While this historic piece of legislation has unquestionably become a cornerstone of modern society, like most societal changes it was borne out of the fires of conflict. So, the question I pose today is this; from what seeds did it grow? What factors can be said to have most directly shaped its creation?"

The class sat quietly, many of them attempting to avoid eye contact. Professor William Daskal's class on Civil Rights was mandatory for any mammal hoping to attend Zootopia University's School of Law; that didn't make the billy goat's passion for audience participation any more enjoyable for his students.

"Well? Anyone?" Daskal bleated, pointing to a nearby koala. "What about you?"

"T-the Zootopian Civil Rights Movement?" She stammered.

"Considering this class is called History of Zootopian Civil Rights," The professor responded dryly. "I'd say that's a safe assumption."

A young capybara in one of the middle rows tentatively raised his paw. "The Night Howler Crisis?"

"Not quite the answer I'm looking for. Although those events did help set the stage, it would be several years before their impact would be felt. What else?"

"The TSP." A zebra at the front confidently put forth.

"Excellent! The Taxonomic Solidarity Party generated a great deal of controversy in the post-Bellwether political arena. Can you give any examples?"

"Err..." The zebra clearly hadn't anticipated any follow-up questions. "Well, they were a conservative party, so they used the riots to try and push through more aggressive legislation."

"A stunningly vague analysis, Mr. Nyathi." The professor commented, raising an eyebrow. "Care to take another swing at it?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well, they wanted stronger policies against...erm...regarding certain types of..."

The tiger sitting behind him rolled her eyes. "Oh, for the love of... The TSP was an ultra-conservative political party that wanted to enact restrictive legislation applicable only to predator species. These included mandatory curfews and employment restrictions, but some of the hardliners were even pushing for total species segregation through the establishment of predator-only ghettos."

"Top marks, Ms. Shah!" The professor exclaimed. "Who can name some of the key players?"

Once again, the students seemed reluctant to offer up an answer.

"Come on now!" Daskal encouraged them. "The air is rife with tension and the TSP has been supplying plenty of fuel. We just need the characters that set the whole thing in motion."

"Bellwether." Anaya Shah piped up again. "She was a symbol for the TSP, at least while she was alive. And everyone knows what happened after she was killed."

"Quite so."

The capybara lifted his paw again. "Councilor Hartford?"

"Correct! How was he significant?"

"H-he was one of the biggest supporters for predator equal rights, e-even though he was from a prey species." The large rodent gulped. "He was t-the deer that stood with the wolves in the first Unity March."

"You're quite right, Mr. Gordon." The professor smiled. "Now please, relax before you pass out."

Another ripple of laughter prompted the bashful mammal to slouch down in his seat, but couldn't wipe the pleased smile from his face.

"So here we are. The stage is set, the players stand ready, our pot is set to boil and our metaphors have been thoroughly mixed." Laughing along with his students, Daskal reflected with some amusement that this topic always seemed to bring out the amateur actor in him. "We're looking for the catalyst! The spark that that set the whole thing ablaze!"

"Wildehopps!" A cheetah in the back row shouted, many of his fellow students laughing in response.

"Notwithstanding the ridiculous moniker, that's arguably correct." The goat chuckled. "Nicholas Wilde and Judith Hopps-Wilde are two very significant figures in Zootopian history. There's a reason a statue of them stands outside City Hall. As the first of their respective species to work in law enforcement, the pair were already de facto figureheads. As friends, partners, and eventually as mates, the pair of them stood as a symbol for interspecies relat–"

"Bradley Mason!"

"Wha...?" Unaccustomed to being cut off mid-sentence, Daskal stammered briefly as he cast about the room in search of the one who'd interrupted him. He quickly spotted a racoon sitting in one of the middle rows, paw raised in the air. "What was that?"

"Bradley Mason, sir."

"And who, exactly, is Bradley Mason?"

"He's the catalyst. He's the reason we're all sitting here."

The professor gave the young mammal an intrigued look. "Go on."

"Mason was a truck driver coming into the city from the Tri-Burrows. He took a turn too fast and jack-knifed his truck." The young mammal explained. "Hopps and Wilde were the ones to discover that the truck was transporting Night Fury. Hopps got exposed to the drug and ended up in the hospital, and Wilde's investigation is what led to Gordon Manger being sent to Blackrock Prison, which most experts agree is where The Aries Brotherhood first formed."

"It's also the event that sparked their romantic relationship." He concluded, wincing when the professor gave him a particularly skeptical look.

"I'm curious where you drew your information from."

"The usual places; newspapers, interviews, city records."

"I see. And what got you looking in the first place?"

"An...uh...old family story." The racoon answered evasively.

"And I'm sure it was a _very_ entertaining story." The professor rolled his eyes lightly and favored that racoon with a particularly patronizing smile, prompting a ripple of laughter that floated through the lecture hall. "But in academia we deal in facts, not fiction."

"It's all verifiable in public records." He insisted.

"Is that right?" He peered at the young mammal curiously. "You don't look very familiar. Your name would be...?"

"David Wi...lcox." The racoon cleared his throat awkwardly. "Er...David Wilcox, sir."

"I see. And are you registered in this class, Mr. Wilcox?"

"I'm auditing."

"Hm." The professor grunted noncommittally, but didn't comment any further.

* * *

Although the rest of the lecture went smoothly, Daskal couldn't ignore the tiny flicker in the back of his mind. Something about that racoon – Wilcox – didn't quite sit right.

"It's been over fifty years since then, and in that time, we've taken some tremendous steps forward. There are very few jobs left that are regarded as being species-exclusive. It's no longer considered unusual for predator and prey children to attend school together from a young age." He shrugged. "Some would argue we still have a long way to go, and in many ways, they would be correct. Society has always been slow to accept change."

Glancing at the clock on the wall, he realized it was time to wrap it up. "Well, I think that's enough for today. Your term assignment details are available online through your student profile, as are my office hours." As the students filed out, Daskal glanced up at one in particular. "May I have a moment of your time, Mr. Wilcox?"

It didn't escape his notice that the young mammal hesitated before responding, as if he had to remember that the name belonged to him.

"Yes, Professor?"

"You said it was your family's history that prompted your research?"

"Yes, sir."

"The Wilcox family, was it?"

"That's right."

"Unusual name, Wilcox." The goat mused. "May I see your student ID, please?"

"Of course, sir." He handed the plastic card over; sure enough, the name beside the racoon's picture read David Wilcox. Still, Daskal had a doubt.

Returning the ID, Daskal kept his hoof outstretched. "Now may I see your driver's license?"

"I don't think that's necessary, sir."

"And I think otherwise. Unless you'd like me to contact the Registrar's office and ask what _they_ think."

"I..." Sighing, the young mammal withdrew the government-issued ID from his wallet and hesitantly placed it in Daskal's hoof. The professor frowned, lowered his eyes to read the name, and very nearly dropped the card in surprise. "Your name is..."

"Yes, sir."

"Does that mean you're related to..."

"They're my grandparents."

"I see." Daskal nodded thoughtfully. "Tell me, why are you hiding behind a false identity?"

"I'm not hiding, sir. I'd just prefer not to advertise. I'd rather be just a regular student."

"Hm. What year are you in?"

"Fourth."

"May I assume, at least, that you've received a conditional acceptance to law school?"

"No, sir. I just wanted to learn more about my family."

"Admirable, but the history department's policies clearly state that students that aren't on track to Zootopia Law cannot attend, let alone audit, my classes."

"Oh...I see." The young mammal sighed and his shoulders sagged. "Thank you for your time, Professor."

As the young mammal sitting across from him began to gather his things, Daskal leaned back to consider the case before him. For a moment, he'd thought he had the racoon figured out; another ambitious youngster from an influential family, thinking the rules didn't apply to him.

He'd been an educator for most of his adult life, and was no stranger to disappointed students. He'd heard every imaginable story, knew all about lofty goals and parents with high expectations, met more than his share of entitled blue bloods and stress-wracked scholarship holders. He'd been given countless reasons for why any given student was a unique case, and why he himself should make an exception for them.

The only thing virtually all of those cases had in common had been his absolute refusal to grant exceptions to those that asked for them.

But what he saw before him was something very different and far more valuable; a student upset for no reason other than being denied the opportunity to _learn._

"However," He continued, regaining the young mammal's attention. "The beauty of being tenured is that the rules only apply so far as I want them to. I think I can find a seat for you."

"Really?! Thank you so much, Professor!"

"Don't celebrate too soon. There are conditions, and the first is that I'll expect you to have all of the work assigned so far to be completed by next week. Second, you _will_ commit to _never_ missing a class." The professor peered at him over his glasses. "I don't care if you're standing on death's doorstep, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir! Totally clear."

"I hope so. Third, this is a difficult class and I hold my students' work to a high standard. Given your unique access to otherwise unavailable personal accounts, I'll have even higher standards for you. Understood?"

"Of course, sir."

"Good. Finally, your admittance to this class is, to a degree, in recognition of your family's proud legacy of service to the citizens of Zootopia. I intend to see you live up to that legacy, which is why you _will_ have your completed application to the Zootopia School of Law – including a personal essay – on my desk before the midterm."

"Sir?"

"I'm quite serious. I make no guarantees, but if you perform sufficiently well in my class then there _are_ mammals in the faculty of law I can speak to. Remember, I expect excellence." Professor Daskal leaned forward in his chair, once again regarding the excited-looking young mammal before him. "Do you believe you're up to the challenge, Mr. Wilde?"

"Absolutely, Professor." David grinned. "One hundred percent."

* * *

 _ **56 years earlier**_

"Why is it always Wildehopps with you?" Judy asked. "Why not Hoppswilde?"

"Because I'm taller than you. That means I'm easier to photograph, so I get to choose our celebrity name."

"What? That doesn't make any..." The rest of her objection was interrupted by the screech of brakes and a chorus of blaring horns. "What the hell?!"

Triggering the low-profile lights on their unmarked cruiser, Judy smoothly cut into traffic and made a beeline for the source of the disturbance. Only a few hundred meters ahead, an eighteen-wheel cargo truck had managed to jack-knife itself while trying to navigate a sharp curve in the road.

"Cheese and crackers." Judy muttered. "Why the heck did the driver think he could take this road in a truck that size?"

Nick shrugged disinterestedly. "He was probably just trying to skip the toll booth on the freeway."

Responding to his attitude with a half-hearted glare, she released the buckle on her seatbelt and popped her door open. "C'mon, let's go find out what happened."

"Carrots, we are _off duty_." He reminded her. "Look around you. See how many mammals are on their phones right now? I guarantee that there'll be a patrol car here in no time."

"Well, at least run the truck's plates?"

Groaning, Nick threw a paw over his eyes in frustration. "You're killing me here, Carrots."

"Humor me? Please?" He lifted his paw to find her doing that... _thing_...again. The thing with the big eyes and the droopy ears. And...was she?...Yup, there was the single, subtle nose twitch.

" _Fine._ But you're buying lunch tomorrow." Entering the truck's license plate into their car's remote terminal, he quickly skimmed over the available information "Looks like the truck is registered to a company called...lemme see here...Spring Harvest LLC." He furrowed his brow. "Weird. I don't see any prior incidents, but there's a flag on the company's profile."

"Really?" Unfortunately for Nick, that only served to pique Judy's interest further. "Well, they didn't give us these detective's badges for nothing. Let's get detecting!"

Refusing to dignify her enthusiasm with a response, the fox sullenly climbed out of the car and trailed behind her to the immobilized truck.

As they got closer, Judy spotted an anxious-looking skunk climbing down from the cab. "Doesn't look like the driver is hurt."

"What a shame." He muttered.

"Nick, stop being such a grump." She scolded him. "Sir! Sir, are you alright?!"

Pausing his harried inspection of his vehicle, the driver turned to face them and took off running the second he caught sight of their car's flashing lights. Nick slowly came to a halt even as his partner burst forward, shaking his head as he watched her close the distance and apprehend the skunk in a matter of seconds. "Why do they always run?"

Just a few minutes later, after the driver had been handcuffed to the truck's bumper and hastily informed of his rights, the detectives climbed into the trailer. Opening the first box he came to, he let out a long-suffering sigh that caught Judy's attention. "Nick?"

"Clearly we've stumbled upon a massive criminal operation here."

"Would you _please_ try to lighten up?"

"How could I when faced with such evil." Picking up an oddly-colored wax vegetable, he gave his partner an unimpressed look. "I don't know about you, but I suspect these may not be real. Is there no end to this web of deception?"

"Well, there's one surefire way to be sure." Grabbing the obviously fake carrot from his paw, she winked and proceeded to take a giant bite.

* * *

 **Hmm... A prologue to Analysis, or an epilogue to something else?**

 **In the meantime, here's something new - for me, at least. Back in the day, whenever of my favorite fanfic authors (JMG 2.0) added OCs into a story, he would end each chapter with a "Cast" list. That way, the reader could envision the characters the same way _he_ had while writing them. I always loved it, so I thought I'd do the same for Analysis / Footnote and see what people think. **

**I'm interested to hear how close it is to what you were picturing.**

 **OC VOICE CAST (in order of appearance)**

 _Bradley Mason - Michael Cera  
Doctor Albert Forrest – Michael Caine  
Det. Davis Clayton - Kevin Pollack  
Roxxie - Brittany Murphy  
Gordon Manger - Michael Rooker  
Grant Shepherd - Elliott Gould  
Professor William Daskal - David Hyde Pierce  
David Wilcox (Wilde) – Justin Long_


	31. Goodness

_Some mammals had their doubts about whether Nick had actually left his shady ways behind, but Finnick wasn't one of them. He'd always known that the larger fox had more in store for him than petty hustles, and was happy- and a little bit sad- that he'd finally realized it too._

* * *

Judy blinked in surprise at the van parked in front of her apartment building, her eyes immediately drawn to the unique image painted on the side.

"Yo, bunny!" A surprisingly deep voice yelled from the driver's window. "C'mere!"

Judy approached the van curiously. "Finnick?"

The small fox rolled his eyes. "No, it's Santa Claws."

She scowled at his tone. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to talk." He jerked his thumb toward the passenger seat. "Get in. Imma drive you to work."

"It's a fifteen-minute walk, Finnick. I'll be fine."

"Yeah? Well, you owe me one." He reminded her. "It's a five-minute drive and a three-minute talk. Now, get in."

Judy weighed her options for a moment, concluding that if the fennec meant her any harm he probably wouldn't have announced his presence so loudly. He wasn't wrong about her debt to him, either. Without him, she'd never have found Nick; without Nick, she'd never have stopped Bellwether.

"Fine." Walking around the front of the vehicle and climbing into the passenger seat. Glancing over, she took in the modified controls that allowed the small fox to operate the normally too-large van. They were surprisingly similar to the system that she used to drive a standard ZPD patrol crusier, although their jury-rigged appearance did give her pause for a second. "So, your van seems to be in better shape than the last ti..."

"I ain't here to make small talk, so I'll make this quick." The fennec interrupted, starting the engine and pulling away from the curb. "Nick don't need you fillin' his head with promises you can't keep, so Imma need you to be straight with me. Can he really be a cop?"

"Oh." Judy blinked. "Well, I sure think he can."

"That don't make it a fact."

"He's got the brains for it."

"I know _that_." He snapped. "And it ain't what I asked."

"Both Chief Bogo and the Interim Mayer thanked Nick personally."

"Talk is cheap, rabbit." He snorted. "What I wanna know is whether they're gonna hire him or just give him the ol' two-paw runaround."

"The what?"

The fennec rolled his eyes. "You know how when a mammal smiles real wide and shakes your paw wit' both of theirs, then goes on and on about how grateful they are?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Ever notice how those _very grateful_ mammals never seem to do anything to back that up?"

"Being grateful isn't the same as being in debt, Finnick."

"Whatever." He muttered. "You're still duckin' the question."

"I can't give you a guarantee, Finnick. And I think you know that." She sighed, peering at the smaller mammal curiously. "What's this really about?"

"I wanna know my boy ain't getting jerked around."

"You're awfully protective of him, aren't you?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "How long have you two known each other? Must be a long time."

"What would you rather hear, rabbit?" He eyed her. "The answer you want or the truth?"

"The truth." Judy replied without hesitation.

"First time I saw Nick, I wasn't sure whether he was a red fox kit or a grown fennec beaten bloody. A couple of coyote gang-bangers he tried to hustle were whoopin' the hell outta him in an alley. I didn't show up mid-beating either; I got there for the closing act." The little fox let out a surprisingly deep growl. "I ain't no saint, but there's some shit even _I_ know ain't right."

"You saved him?"

"Yeah, and you better believe I gave those mutts a beating they'll never forget." He chuckled darkly, ignoring the alarmed look on her face. "When you're my size and packing a baseball bat, it's amazing how many soft body parts are at convenient smashing height."

"You're talking to a _cop_ , Finnick." She reminded him.

"So?" He retorted. "Even if you could prove anything, would you really arrest me for whoopin' the living hell outta two grown preds I caught beatin' on one little kit?"

Though she looked like she wanted to say yes, Judy remained silent.

"Yeah. Thought not." The small fox gave her a sidelong glance. "He talked about you a lot while you was gone, you know. Not always nicely, but you were never outta his head."

Surprised, she blurted out the first question that came to mind. "You two still spend time together?"

"That a problem, rabbit?"

"No! I mean, as long as..."

"Don't fret, cottontail; he ain't doin' nothing he shouldn't be. Just comes by to talk. Besides, it ain't like he's got many other friends." Finnick snorted, rolling his eyes again. "Tell the truth, he's been a real headache lately. Even worse than when you were gone."

"Worse?" Judy cringed.

"Oh, _hell_ yeah. He brings you up _every single day_ now _._ Carrots did this! Carrots said that! Like he thinks the sun shines out from under your tail."

"Really?"

"That's another thing." He turned to glare at her over his sunglasses. "Imma say this once, rabbit. If you break his heart, me and you are gonna have _words_."

"Don't worry. I'll do everything I can to help him get into the ZPD."

"That ain't what I mean and you know it."

"I'm not sure what you mea..."

"You're too smart to play dumb with me, rabbit."

She paused uncertainly. "I won't break his heart, Finnick."

"Glad we got that settled." As he pulled over to the curb, Judy realized they'd already arrived at Precinct One. "Ride's over. Conversation is, too."

Opening the door, she graced him with a soft smile. "Nick's lucky to have a friend like you, Finnick."

"Oh, please. That dumbass little ball of red fluff was never cut out for my kind of life." He paused. "He probably deserves a better friend than me, anyway."

"I also think you're a better mammal than you give yourself credit for."

"Shaddup, bunny." He responded, though perhaps not as fiercely as he normally might have. "Now get outta my van 'fore someone sees you. Last thing I need is mammals thinkin' I'm a damn snitch."

"It was nice talking to you, too."


	32. Rhythm

_They lay quietly in the darkness, her ear pressed to the entire length his chest, his heartbeat slowly lulling her to sleep._

* * *

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"You think it'll ever get any easier?" She whispered into the dark.

"Don't know, Carrots." He responded softly, pulling her closer. "Maybe."

She didn't respond, nestling as deeply as she could manage into the cream-colored fur. She had just begun to drift off to sleep when she heard it through the wall; the nearly imperceptible sound of a small object hitting the floor. "Oh, son of a-"

"STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE! DIDN'T YOU HEAR? THE FOX AND BUNNY ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT BUMPED THE TABLE!"

"YOU PUT YOUR SPOON TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE!"

"YOU NEVER WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

"YOU NEVER CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF!"

"SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"

"Or maybe not." Nick heaved a sigh. "Carrots, you know I love you, right?"

"Of course. I love you, too."

"Good." Nick nodded. "Because it's with love that I tell you that your apartment is the seventh circle of _hell_!"

Like every other time the topic had come up, Judy felt a twinge of irritation in her stomach. Her face fell into a scowl as she sat up, crossing her arms defensively. " _And?_ "

" _And,_ " He echoed, rolling his eyes lightly. "You shouldn't have to live here. Maybe you could move in with me?"

"Nick, your apartment is right next to your building's main heating duct."

"So? That just means it's warm!"

"And loud." The bunny reminded him, pointing at the ears that accounted for a quarter of her height.

"Right." He muttered. "Well, maybe we could reconsider getting a new place together?"

Judy didn't answer, looking anywhere but at her partner and boyfriend. They'd had this conversation before, and the memories it brought up always put a bitter taste in her mouth.

Shortly after she'd come back to Zootopia and re-joined the ZPD, she'd decided to find somewhere to live that was a little less...cozy. She'd visited several promising locations, but each time she submitted an application to rent one, it would be denied within twenty-four hours. Ever the naïve country bunny, she hadn't been able to figure out why so many of the landlords who'd been so pleasant on the phone were suddenly so cold in person.

Eventually, Nick pointed out that every rejected application had one thing in common; the fox standing right beside her when she went to view the apartment. They hadn't been dating at the time; Nick hadn't even joined the ZPD yet. He was just a friend there to help her look for a new place to live, but after all the TV interviews and pictures of them in the newspapers, a lot of mammals had started to make assumptions about their relationship.

He tried to play it off like it didn't bother him, and had suggested she check out a few apartments without him. When she did, however, she couldn't stomach the welcoming smiles she got from each building manager. While she didn't know if Nick's presence would have changed that, she still felt that if she rented any of those apartments she'd just be enabling an ongoing cycle of bigotry.

In the end, she'd ended up staying at the Grand Pangolin Arms. It might not have been the most glamorous place to live, but at least her landlord could care less about what kind of mammal stayed there.

"Carrots?"

"I don't think so, Nick." She muttered, not looking at him for fear of seeing the broken-hearted expression she _knew_ was on his face. "We've talked about this."

Ever persistent, the fox continued. "I'm sure we could find..."

"Seriously, just drop it."

He held his paws up in surrender. "Okay. No problem."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I'm sorry, Nick. I just...let's just try to get some sleep."

* * *

Although the Oryx-Antlersons eventually ran out of steam, Judy still didn't sleep very well. As she struggled through their shift the following day, their conversation seeming to loom over her like a dark cloud.

Although Nick hadn't said anything outright, she was worried that he'd start getting the wrong idea. She didn't want his to think her reluctance toward moving in together was less about the bigotry of other mammals and more about _him_. As much as she wanted to reassure him that she was absolutely committed to their relationship, she didn't know how comforting it would be when she still refused to change her mind about finding somewhere else to live.

At the end of the day, she found Nick patiently waiting for her outside the female locker room.

"You were quiet today." He commented. "Everything alright?"

"Just a lot on my mind." She smiled up at him. "Movie night tonight?"

"You know it. I've just gotta go home and grab this evening's feature. See you at your place?"

"Sounds good."

They parted ways at the front doors of the precinct and Judy caught the subway home, arriving to find a rare but cherished silence. She busied herself with a little tidying up, trying not to dwell on her troubling thoughts from earlier in the day, until she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

"Heya, Carrots." He let himself in, casting a suspicious glance at the wall she shared with her neighbors. "Awfully quiet around here. Where are the wonder twins this evening?"

"They have yoga on Tuesdays, so we should be fine until at least eight." She glanced over her shoulder. "What's tonight's pick?"

"Nightmare on Elk Street." He held up an old DVD case depicting a fedora-wearing mountain lion with long steel claws. "Freddie Cougar was _the_ horror villain of my formative years."

Laughing softly, she got up to grab her laptop. "You and your monster-filled slasher movies."

"What can I say, Carrots?" He reached out and grabbed her waist, yanking the squealing bunny into his lap and playfully nibbling on her ear. "It must be my inner savage trying to break free!"

"Really?" She laughed, half-heartedly swatting at his nose. "Are you sure it's not the barely-dressed females running around?"

"Don't worry. There's only one barely-dressed female for me."

"Heather Langenkat?" She teased, glancing at the DVD cover.

"Okay, two barely-dressed females. Just watch the movie." Rolling his eyes, he leaned forward and hit play.

They had just reached the part where the aforementioned scantily-clad leopard decided to go investigate a strange noise upstairs when there was a sharp knock on Judy's door. Glancing at it in confusion, she paused the movie and hopped off the bed, opening the door to reveal a conservatively-dressed bunny with light tan fur.

Surprised, it took Judy a second to find her voice. "Candice?"

"Hello, Judy." Her older sister responded primly.

"Hi. What are you...what can I do for you?"

"I was in the city and thought I'd see if you wanted to catch up."

"Oh. I've actually got my boyfr..."

"May I come in?" Candice interrupted. "Or were you planning on leaving me in the hallway?"

Judy hesitated, fidgeting with the door handle. She and Candice had never gotten along; her older sister had always been far too...traditional...to accept Judy's choices. She'd actually been one of the loudest advocates _against_ Judy joining the ZPD. But she was still family, so Judy stepped aside. "Of course."

"Thank you. I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten your mann- AHH!" The older bunny screeched, recoiling from the fox sitting on her younger sister's bed.

Nick looked up from his phone and gave her a polite little wave. "Hello."

She practically bolted for the door, grasping Judy's wrist on the way and dragging the younger bunny into the hall.

"Candice, what are you doing?!"

"What am _I_ doing?" She cried. "Judy, what are _YOU_ doing?! There's a _fox_ in your apartment! On your _bed_!"

"I'm aware that Nick is in my apartment, Candice."

"Nick? _Nick?!_ "

"My boyfriend." Judy answered simply. "You've met him before."

" _What?!_ "

"I said you've met Nick bef..."

"Not that! You called him your...your..."

"Boyfriend?" Judy finished, smirking.

Her sister interrupted her with a sharp stomp on the creaking floorboards. "Young lady, you had better explain yourself...right...n...ow..." Candice trailed off as her eyes fixed on a point over Judy's shoulder.

"Everything okay, Carrots?"

"It's fine." Judy reassured him.

"Are you sure? Because it seemed kinda shout-y out here."

"Everything's alright, Nick." She insisted, despite the hate-filled glare her sister was aiming at him. "It's just family stuff. Candice and I...we're..."

The fox gave an understanding nod. "I gotcha. How about I run down to the corner store and get you a bottle of that weird veggie juice you love?"

She smiled gratefully. "That'd be great."

Leaning down to kiss her, he pointedly ignored the older rabbit's outraged gasp. "I'll be back in ten."

The moment Nick was out of sight, Candice grasped Judy by the arm and yanked her back into the apartment. "Sweet merciful cheese and crackers, Judy! You can't just flaunt what you're doing where anyone can see! What if I'd brought my children to visit? What if they'd seen you carrying on like that with a...a _fox_?!"

"We were watching a _movie_." Judy rolled her eyes at her conservative older sister.

"Don't you sass me!" Candice snapped.

Judy let out an exasperated sigh, reaching up to gently massage her temples. "Why are you here, Candice?"

"I came here to see if I could _finally_ convince you to see reason, and I find you with...with...that! He's a predator, Judy! We all know you're a thrill seeker, but there's a big difference between being a police officer..."

"Detective." Judy half-heartedly corrected.

"...and screwing around with a _predator_."

"We aren't 'screwing around', Candice. Nick and I have been together for over a year."

"Oh, stop it with that nonsense. That fox isn't your _boyfriend_."

"Yes, _he is._ "

"No, Judy." Candice's voice shifted, as if she were addressing a young kit. "He's just a phase you're going through, but you need to stop wasting your best birthing years. You're not too old to find a nice buck and settle down."

"Not interested." Judy responded flatly, wishing that could be the end of it.

"Oh, you're not?" Candice scoffed. "You might be having fun now, young lady..."

"You're only two-and-a-half years older than me, Candice." Judy ground out, trying to keep a hold on her temper. "Please stop calling me young lady."

"...but soon enough you'll want to start having kits of your own. It's a biological fact, and what use will the fox be then?"

"His name is _Nick_ , Candice." Judy fought the urge to grind her teeth together. "And _you_ need to get used to the fact that my life choices aren't going to be the same as yours. Besides, who says we even _want_ kits?"

"Judy!" The older bunny gasped. "What kind of ideas has the fox been putting in your head? Of _course,_ you want kits! Every doe wants to have kits! It would be unnatural not to!"

"Then I guess I'm unnatural."

"Judy, you're being irratio-"

"Thank you for visiting, Candice." Judy interrupted. "But I think it's time for you to leave."

"I will do no such thing! No matter how headstrong you insist on being, you're still my little sister." She grabbed Judy firmly by the wrist and attempted to pull her toward the door. "So help me, if I have to I'll drag you kicking and screaming away from this...this... _deviant_ lifestyle you've fallen into."

Judy's features hardened, and with a practiced motion she had her sister's arm twisted behind her back before the older doe knew what was happening.

"Alright, Candice. I tried this the nice way, but now you really need to go." With a sharp nudge between the shoulder blades, she forced her sister toward the door. "I will _not_ be going _anywhere_ with you, for reasons I've explained too many times to bother repeating now. I respect that you think you're looking out for me, but I'm not willing to put up with your bigoted nonsense anymore."

She released her sister's arm and, with a final shove, forced her out into the hallway. "Goodbye, Candice. Please drive safe on the way home."

Candice's eyes narrowed, and for a moment Judy thought her sister was actually going to take a swing at her. "Don't call Bunnyburrow that."

Judy let out a weary sigh. "Call Bunnyburrow what?"

"Home." She spat. "You don't get to call Bunnyburrow home anymore. You live in the _city_ now."

Despite herself, Judy felt a renewed wave of anger. "Candice, I know you're upset and that you don't really mean that, but you need to stop talking."

"Bunnyburrow is a civilized place, Judith." Her sister sneered, undeterred. "You don't _belong_ there anymore and for the first time, I'm glad of that. It spares my children the _humiliation_ of living near their Aunt Judy, the filthy childless predophi-"

"HEY!" The sudden shout startled them both. "DON'T YOU TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!"

Startled, Candice spun to find an angry Lululemming-clad kudu - and an equally irate gemsbok behind him - standing in the empty hallway. "Who are _you_?"

"NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" Bucky narrowed his eyes, dropping his yoga mat and pointing a hoof down the hallway. "NOW BEAT IT!"

"YEAH!" Pronk added. "GET OUTTA HERE!"

"This has nothing to do with you!" Candice snapped. "So butt out!"

"TRY AND MAKE US!" Bucky practically snarled, "SHE'S LIVING HER OWN DAMN LIFE, AND SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE LIKES OF _YOU_!"

"SHE AND THE FOX ARE HAPPY!" Pronk continued. "AND WE'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU MAKE HER FEEL ASHAMED FOR IT!"

"NOW FOR THE LAST TIME, GET LOST!"

Candice sputtered furiously. "How dare yo–"

" _SCRAM_!"

The older bunny jumped slightly, her eyes darting between her sister and the angry pair of mammals. Letting out an indignant huff, she clutched her purse closely and left, obviously trying very hard not to look like she was running. As she vanished around the corner, Judy turned to look up at the usually-annoying couple.

"Guys, I..."

"Some mammals are hateful, small-minded jerks." The kudu muttered as he knelt to pick up his mat. "And no matter what you do, they'll _never_ feel bad for the things they say to hurt you."

"You live like you wanna live, bunny. And don't _ever_ let _anyone_ make you apologize for it." His husband added.

"Thanks, guys." Judy sniffed. "You two are really great neighbors."

Pronk snorted. "Are you kidding? We're _awful_!"

"He's right." Bucky nodded emphatically. "We're pretty much the worst."

Pronk turned to glare at him. "Who are you calling the worst?!"

"We _are_ the worst!"

"You're the worst!"

"No, _you're_ the worst!"

"SHUT UP!"

"NO, _YOU_ SHUT UP!"

Sighing softly, Judy locked her apartment door and began heading downstairs. Walking slowly so as not to run into Candice again, she'd just about reached the lobby when she spotted Nick on his way back.

"Heya, Carrots. I just saw your sister on her way out." Nick chuckled. "I tell ya, I've been glared at before, but the look she gave me wa... _oof!_ "

Wrapping her arms around him tightly, she turned her head away from his chest and said. "Let's do it. Let's move in together."

Her fox didn't respond for a moment, barely even breathing. "S-seriously? Don't mess with me on this one, Carrots."

"Seriously." She insisted, smiling up at him. "I'm done letting other mammals tell me how to live."

"Well, alright then. Let's do it." The look on his face was positively glowing. "Want to go pretend to watch the rest of the movie while we root through apartment listings?"

"I'd love that." She hopped into his arms and kissed him joyfully. "But I can think of much more interesting things you could root through first."

"What are y...oh!" He grinned and ran up the stairs, holding her tightly as he took the steps two at a time. They reached her apartment in record time, laughing as he practically threw her onto the bed. Scrambling to rid each other of so much unnecessary clothing, the pair didn't immediately notice the shuffling sound on the other side of the wall.

"WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE FEELING BETTER, BUNNY!"

"What the fu-?!" Nick cried, recoiling from the sudden shout and nearly falling off the bed.

"HEY! STOP THAT! THE FOX AND BUNNY ARE TRYING TO HAVE SEX!"

"I'M JUST TRYING TO CREATE AN EMOTIONALLY SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT, YOU JERK!"

"WELL CUT IT OUT! LET THE FOX HANDLE HER EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING!"

"I'D CUT IT OUT IF YOU'D JUST BACK OFF!"

"I'D BACK OFF IF YOU'D STOP BEING A CREEP!"

"I'M NOT BEING A CREEP!"

"YOU'RE BEING A CREEP RIGHT NOW!"

"SHUT UP!"

" _YOU_ SHUT UP!"

"NO, _YOU_ SHUT UP!"

"Well, one thing is for sure." The fox groaned, dropping his head onto the pillow and pulling his girlfriend into his arms. "I am _not_ going to miss those two."

"Yeah." Judy agreed, nuzzling up under his chin and smiling softly. "They're the worst."

* * *

 **Seriously, though...they're the worst.**


	33. Assault

_For the longest time Judy had wondered how Zootopia managed to maintain its city-wide armistice, and why so few criminals actually shot at ZPD officers. Then she saw what happened when a particularly bold coyote emptied his pistol into Officer McHorn's chest._

 _She didn't know which had been more frightening; the sound of gunfire, the sight of the bullets striking a fellow officer, or the mildly annoyed grunt McHorn offered in response._

* * *

 _"_ _Beep, beep, I'm a sheep! I said beep beep, I'm a sheep! Oh, Beep, beep, I'm a sheep! I said beep beep, I'm a sheep!"_

"Ugh..." McHorn rolled his eyes in irritation, shutting the radio off. "I seriously can't stand the auto-tuned crap they have on the radio these days."

"Just because it's not Land Zepplin or the Rocking Stones doesn't mean it isn't music."

"Okay, I _know_ you know those names are wrong. I'm just saying that I remember when songs actually had lyrics. Not just the same asinine sentence repeated over and over."

"Really? What was it like back then?" Judy asked innocently. "Had the wheel been invented yet?"

"Ouch." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Whatever happened to that sweet, bright-eyed bunny looking to make the world a better place?"

"I dunno." She smiled sweetly. "I guess she just got tired of waiting around for the real cops."

He laughed at her playful dig. "When are you gonna let me off the hook for that?"

"Not sure. Probably never."

"Wilde's been a terrible influence, you know that?"

"Worth it." She sing-songed, drawing another laugh from the rhino.

"Speaking of the red menace, how's he doing?"

"Whiny, but recovering. At least he's stopped texting me every five minutes." Shaking her head, she unconsciously glanced at her phone to check for any new messages. "He wants to get back out here so badly that he forgets that these things take time."

"Go easy on him. Getting benched can be frustrating."

"I know, I know. But he got _stabbed_ , for goodness sake!"

"Technically, he got stabbed _twice_." McHorn noted.

"Exactly! How can he whine about being hurt, then turn around and complain about having to go on medical leave?"

"He wants you to know how badly injured he was so that you can be suitably impressed when he just shrugs it off. It's a guy thing."

"It's a dumb thing."

"No argument here. Hell, a few years ago I broke my leg when this mink I was chasing actually hit me with his car."

"He _what?!_ "

"You heard right. I mean, a mink-sized sedan isn't _that_ big, and the car probably took more damage than I did, but it still bust my leg up pretty badly. I must've been laid up for three and a half months." He laughed. "Which _would_ have been closer to two months if I hadn't kept trying to show my wife how tough I was."

"Ouch." She winced. "Y'know, I had a cruiser door close on my ear once."

"No shit?"

"Back at the Academy." She nodded. "Lucky for me, ears are all cartilage. I mean, it hurt like nobody's business and my hearing was little tinny on that side for a couple of weeks, but I didn't miss any training."

"Oh, is that how it is?" He gave her an amused look. "Okay, how about this? We were after this elephant for assault and running through Eastdown Park, when the guy picks up a medium-size _bench_ and takes a swing at me!"

"Oh my god!" Judy gasped, despite her wide-eyed grin. "What happened?"

"My partner took him down, but I was out for the count. Lost two teeth and earned this." He tapped the side of his horn, revealing a hairline crack Judy hadn't noticed before. "I was back on duty a week later, even though I couldn't even chew properly."

"Alright. See right here?" She brushed the fur of her cheek aside to reveal three parallel scars. "Clawed in the face by a bully when I was nine. He was shaking down my friends for their carnival tickets. I told him to give them back."

"Why am I not surprised?" McHorn chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"He wasn't too happy about that, but I still got the tickets back, _and_ enjoyed the rest of the evening at the carnival." She frowned a little at the memory. "Then I got an infection that knocked me down for a week."

"Knowing you, still not surprised. Those scars are pretty badass, though."

"They are?" She tried to hide her grin when he nodded. "Thanks."

" _Unit 7, the silent alarm was just triggered in a bank at Eighth and Dogwood. Are you able to respond?"_

Judy grabbed the radio without hesitation. "This is Unit 7, we're on our way."

When they pulled up to the bank ten minutes later, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Parking their cruiser across the street, the two officers took a moment to peer at the bank entrance.

"Can you see anything?"

"Not from here..." She muttered. "I'm going to see if I can get a little closer."

"Hang on, Hopps. I'm getting a bad feeling here."

Glancing at the bank, she didn't see anything particularly unsettling and said as much.

"Come on, Hopps. Use those oversized ears of yours and actually listen."

"I don't hear anything weird."

"No, you don't hear anything _at all._ " He stressed, climbing out of the car and moving around to the trunk. "Downtown banks are loud, and bank _robberies_ are even louder. Lots of growling and snarling to keep everyone in line."

"So?"

"So, silence only means one thing." He reached into the cruiser's trunk and Judy's eyes widened at the small lockbox he retrieved. "Whoever's inside is too scared to make a sound."

"I don't think I..."

"Trust me, better to have it and not need it."

She lifted her issued firearm from the opened lockbox with some trepidation, clipping the small holster to her belt. She'd passed her range qualifications at the Academy – she wouldn't have graduated otherwise – and carrying one's sidearm _was_ standard procedure for ZPD officers in this kind of situation. Even so, the idea of actually _using_ a gun rubbed her the wrong way; how could you make the world a better place when you're carrying something designed solely for killing?

The logical part of her mind reminded her that she probably wasn't in danger of killing _anyone._ The ZPD armorer had already warned her the diminutive caliber would be practically useless against anything larger than a badger, but the modified target pistol was the only firearm available that she could fire with any accuracy. That didn't make the idea of shooting someone any more palatable.

"Ready?"

She took a calming breath and nodded.

Stepping around the parked cruiser, the pair advanced cautiously on the bank's front doors. Judy kept her ears up and forward as she listened carefully for any indication of what might be happening inside the building, and they'd almost reached the sidewalk when the sudden roar of gunfire and shattering glass struck the bunny's hearing like a hammer.

Whoever was firing must have been aiming for McHorn, because the bullets passed harmlessly over her head. Displaying startlingly fast reflexes for a mammal his size, McHorn dropped to the ground and rolled out of the shooter's line of sight. Both officers threw themselves behind a nearby parked car, and a heartbeat later another burst of gunfire destroyed the vehicle's windows.

Turning to the senior officer, she yelled the first words that came to her mind. "Someone is shooting at us!"

 _"_ _No shit!"_

Judy's brain picked that moment to ask the dumbest question it could possibly conjure up. "What should I do?!"

"What the hell are you...?!" He actually turned to stare at her in disbelief. " _SHOOT BACK!_ "

The rhino's bellowed command snapped Judy out of her shocked state instantly. Smoothly drawing her weapon, she forced herself to calm down and remember all those hours she'd spent conducting drills at the Academy. She could practically hear their tactical instructor's voice in her ear, reminding her that a firefight could only kill her if she let it.

Dropping to the ground, she tucked her ears back and peeked around the car's tire; hopefully the whomever was firing at them would be too concerned with McHorn to notice her. There were two of them emerging from the bank's entrance with heavily loaded duffel bags slung over their shoulders.

They were clearly ready for a fight, decked out in armor and helmets similar to the kind used by the ZPD's own SWAT team and carrying military-style rifles. Both types of item were heavily regulated in the city, and the fact that these mammals had gotten ahold of them was decidedly unsettling – particularly since her little .32 ACP didn't stand a chance against the combination kevlar and trauma plates.

Taking up positions behind the stone columns on either side of the door, both mammals continued to fire on the vehicle she and McHorn were using as protection. Neither shooter seemed willing to fully emerge from behind their cover, but considering that each shot from whatever the rhino was firing sounded like a miniature explosion and took an apple-sized chunk out of the bank's concrete wall, Judy couldn't really blame them. Unfortunately, that meant that they'd taken to firing in the rough direction of her fellow officer without bothering to aim properly, putting every citizen nearby in danger.

Sprinting out from behind their cruiser, Judy ducked from cover to cover until she found a spot behind a mid-size SUV that offered both protection and a reasonably clear view of both shooters.

She concentrated on the one she had the clearest line-of-sight on, a tawny cougar currently firing largely un-aimed shots from an automatic shotgun. Her nerves caused her to jerk the trigger, sending her first shot into the wall behind her target. The second skipped off the top of the cougar's helmet and Judy cursed when the animal didn't even seem to notice.

She took a deep breath and, focusing on her training, slowly squeezed the trigger until the weapon bucked in her paw. The round struck her target's face from the side, a couple of inches below the left cheekbone, fracturing the jaw and obliterating four of the cougar's teeth. Howling in agony, the big cat clutched his face as he dropped to the ground.

"Eddie!" The other shooter, a gray-furred coyote, yelped in terror. "Eddie, are you okay?! Talk to me, man!"

 _Eddie. That cougar's name is Eddie._ Judy stared dumbly over her pistol's sights, unable to tear her eyes off the wounded mammal. _Eddie is bleeding all over the sidewalk because I just shot Eddie in the face._

She was so engrossed that she failed to notice the coyote turning his weapon in her direction. "You little _shit_!"

Judy shrieked when a round struck the car's tire just in front of her; the only things that saved her life were the coyote's unfocused aim and the tire's steel rim. Enraged, he had broken from his cover and was sprinting toward her, presenting a target too fast and small for McHorn to get a bead on.

Intent on rejoining the rhino, Judy scrambled away from the parked vehicle and began to run back the way she came. She'd made it about halfway when one of the coyote's shots connected with the pavement just in front of her, throwing small chunks of debris into her face. Flinching away, she tripped herself up and fell to the ground, staring helplessly as her sidearm slid under a nearby car. She didn't even have time to think about going after it before a foot between her shoulder blades forced her to the ground. A second later, a muttered curse was followed by the sight of a rifle hitting the pavement, it's bolt locked back on an empty magazine. The tiny flicker of hope she felt was quickly extinguished by the sound of a pistol's slide being racked.

"Guess bunnies ain't so lucky after all." The coyote growled, leveling the pistol on her. She looked back over her shoulder in numb shock, nose twitching and feeling like she would be swallowed up by the cavernous-looking barrel. Neither of them noticed when a looming shadow fell over the pair.

"Drop the weapon. Now."

Startled, the coyote spun toward the new voice and found McHorn towering over him; the rhino was close enough to practically block out the sun. The coyote fired before the enormous officer could say another word, pulling the trigger over and over until the slide locked back.

"Hm." McHorn grunted, peering down at the canine and seemingly unconcerned with the dozen new holes in his chest. "You done?"

The coyote didn't respond, gawking stupidly at the rhino's tattered shirt. After a few seconds, McHorn reached down and effortlessly wrenched the gun from the canine's paws. Cuffing the mammal and conducting a quick search for additional weapons, he half-turned to Judy. "Keep an eye on this one, Hopps, and get on the radio for an ambulance. I'll go secure the other shooter."

* * *

Sitting in the back of an ambulance and pulling a thermal blanket tightly around her shoulders, Judy wished it could actually help ease her trembling. Her adrenaline high had worn off about ten minutes earlier, and since then all she'd done was shake and cry intermittently.

"How're you doing, Hopps?"

Startled by McHorn's voice, she hastily wiped her eyes on her uniform sleeve. "O-oh! Yeah, I'm...uh...I'm good."

"Right." He held out a small bottle of water. "Thirsty?"

She nodded, accepting the bottle with a faint sniffle.

He sat down beside her and the ambulance's suspension groaned in protest. "You know, most officers go their entire career without even drawing their sidearm, let alone getting into a full-on firefight. It's okay to be shaken up."

"Why? _You_ seem fine." She was immediately ashamed at how petulant she sounded.

"Hopps, I spent three years with SWAT. I won't say it doesn't bother me, but this wasn't my first rodeo."

"Well, I just sat there like a frightened little kitten." She shook her head shamefully. "I just...I was just so _scared_."

"Hopps, if a mammal is getting shot at they can only be one of two things; scared or crazy."

"Were you scared?"

"Well, I sure ain't crazy."

"But when he shot you... I mean, I _saw_ the bullets hit. You didn't even _flinch!_ "

"Is that what's bothering you?" He unbuttoned his ruined shirt to reveal the heavy armor vest underneath, tapping against it with one hoof. "Reinforced steel plate, ZPD standard issue for an officer my size. That mutt's little pop-gun barely even made a scratch."

"Armor? But you're..."

"A big, tough rhinoceros?"

She didn't respond, looking down at her paws.

"I'm tough, Hopps, but I'm not indestructible. I want to go home to my family just as much as any other officer."

"Oh."

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the flurry of activity around them.

"What about the cougar I, y'know..." She swallowed, looking in the direction the other ambulance had gone. "...shot."

"EMT's said he'd be okay, more or less." The rhino assured her, smiling when her entire body sagged in relief. "He's probably gonna get to know the dentist's chair pretty well, but he'll live."

She nodded. "That's good."

"Ready to hit the road? We've got about a ton of paperwork to fill out for _this_ little adventure."

"In a minute." She sighed, leaning sideways to rest against his massive arm. "Hey, McHorn?"

"What's up?"

"Thanks for having my back."

"Anytime, Hopps."

* * *

 ** _Beep, Beep, I'm A Sheep_** by **Lil Deuce Deuce**

 **It's on YouTube and it's** ** _absolutely_** **what I imagine pop music in Zootopia sounds like.**


	34. Encouragement

_Larry sat down next to Gary, placing a paw on the other wolf's shoulder. Ever since being tricked into a howl at Cliffside – by a bunny, no less – his partner had been struggling with a minor crisis of confidence._

 _"Gary, you need to shake this off. Don't let the rabbit get you down, right?"_

 _Gary sighed. "I know. It's just...I feel so stupid."_

 _"Hey, none of that nonsense." Larry placed a paw under Gary's muzzle, guiding the white wolf's gaze to meet his own. "Tell me, who's a good boy?"_

 _Gary grumbled quietly. The darker wolf, undiscouraged, gently scratched his partner under the chin. "C'mon now, who's a good boy?"_

 _"Me." Gary finally muttered, rolling his eyes slightly. "I'm a good boy."_

 _Grinning, Larry threw an arm around his partner's shoulders. "Yeah you are."_

* * *

"It's been six years, Larry. Can you _please_ just let that go?"

Larry and Gary had been best friends since they were pups. They came from the same neighborhood, and despite coming from different packs – Grayhill and Deepwater, respectively - the pair had been inseparable from the day they could walk. They'd gone to the same school, had worked at the same Buga-Burger during the summer, and when they'd been old enough they'd joined the Zootopian Armed Forces together.

"I could, but I probably won't."

It was during training that Gary received a letter from his mother, encouraging him to stay positive and to reminding him that he'd 'always be her good little boy.' Somehow, Larry had gotten ahold of that letter and had been teasing his friend about it ever since.

"You're an asshole." Gary grumbled, trying not to smile. "You know that, right?"

He'd even started calling Gary 'Goodboy' over the radio during their first deployment, and naturally the nickname had stuck. For the rest of their time in the military, Gary was commonly referred to as 'Goodboy' Deepwater.

It was annoying and demeaning.

It made him sound like he was still a pup.

It absolutely _should not_ be making him feel better right now.

"I'm aware of that, yes."

He'd screwed up in a big way, and he knew it. Although he could recite a list of excuses - that he'd been exhausted and wouldn't have howled otherwise, or that the rabbit's impression of a howl had been uncanny in its accuracy - they didn't change the fact that he still felt like an idiot. Not just for being fooled by the rabbit's deception, but for allowing himself to be put in a position where he _could_ be fooled.

Lionheart had wanted full security details around the clock and had written the company a blank check to get it. That meant overtime – lots of it - and they'd been rolling into their twentieth straight hour by the time the bunny showed up. It had been a stupid thing to do, but the temptation of making two-and-a-half times their usual pay was had gotten the better of them. He thought he'd been imagining things when he caught the fox's scent, and had been so focused on it that when the howl had come he hadn't even considered the source before reacting. Larry had tried to stop him, but the other wolf was so exhausted that even he couldn't resist the howl for long.

"I don't suppose you have anything constructive to add?"

After that, everything had come apart pretty quickly. He and the rest of the security personnel hadn't been arrested, of course; their presence at Cliffside was entirely legal. Gary been certain that his mistake would cost him his job until the other wolves had covered for him; each of them flatly denied any knowledge of where the howl had started. His relief was short-lived, however, because the very next morning that same godforsaken rabbit had gone on television and 'explained' what was making predators go savage.

The rest, as they say, was history.

"Well, now that you're back to your usual snarky self, maybe we ought to find something to do for a living."

It wasn't long before the private security company they worked for had started 'down-sizing', and the number of predators working there had begun to dwindle. Gary told himself not to blame the company; more and more clients were requesting that their security personnel be made up of larger prey mammals rather than any size of predator. When fewer and fewer of his friends were at work each day, he told himself that it was a logical business decision. Even when he and Larry were told that they didn't need to come in to work anymore, he told himself that it wasn't personal.

"Right." Gary frowned. "Because there are just _so many_ job opportunities for predators right now."

Larry shrugged. "We could go work at Snarlbucks?"

"Very funny."

"I'm kinda serious, dude." Larry winced. "I hate the idea as much as you do, but I gotta make rent somehow."

"What? I thought you have enough saved up for a few months, at least."

"I did, but that new high-risk damage deposit damn near drained me dry."

Gary snorted. "You mean the 'pred fee'?"

"That's the one."

"Why didn't you just find a new place?"

"Not too many mammals renting to preds right now. Not for any kind of reasonable amount."

Sighing again, Gary stood and grabbed his jacket from a hook on the wall. "Well, there's no way I'm dealing with this on an empty stomach. Let's go grab something from Casa Del Rizzo's."

"Dude, that's in the square."

"So?"

"Haven't you seen the news?" Larry asked slowly. "There's a huge protest going on there right now."

" _So?_ " The white wolf repeated, a little sharply.

Larry peered at his friend for a moment. Grumbling, he stood and retrieved his own jacket. "Fuck it. I guess we're going to Casa Del Rizzo's."

Determined not to look as angry as he felt, Gary made a point of smiling pleasantly at the mammals they passed on the street. Most would just look away, but some would go so far as to whimper or flinch. It stung a little every time, but least the prey mammals thought they had a reason to be afraid for their safety. The distrusting and resentful glares from the predators, on the other hand, were much worse. As much as recent events had turned prey against predator, it had also turned predators against each other. Many of them needed something or someone to be responsible for what was happening, and had chosen to label every predator they didn't know as a potential savage.

It didn't take long to reach the square that sat between city hall and the ZPD's Precinct One building, and even knowing what to expect Gary was surprised at the number of mammals gathered there. As aggressive as it looked, though. a lifetime spent among packs had given wolves a good sense for the ebb and flow of a crowd. For the time being, this protest was nothing but noise.

As they skirted the edge of the square toward their favorite pizza place, Gary happened to glance into the teeming mass of protestors and caught sight of someone painfully familiar; the grey and blue figure that'd been the start all of this misery. Halting in mid-step, he stared at the tiny little bunny amidst the mob, actually trying to calm down mammals several times her size. In another life, he might've been impressed with her determination. Now, all he could see was a thorn caught in the city's fur; a painful little irritant that had no business being where it was.

After a few minutes, she gave up trying to push an angrily yelling tiger away from an equally furious elk. Moving into a relatively calmer part of the crowd, she paused to catch her breath only about fifteen paces away.

For a fleeting second, Gary considered how easy it would be to just walk up behind her, sweep her legs out, and snap her spine with a well-placed kick. With the protest roaring around them, the other mammals surrounding them might not even notice. It'd just be a tragic accident; the sad but predictable result of a little bunny running between the feet of large angry mammals.

But that wasn't him. He was better than that. Better than the savage they said he was, at least. As angry as he was with her, she didn't deserve that. What she did deserve, however...

"Wait here. I gotta take care of something."

Confused, Larry followed the direction of his friend's glare and quickly spotted the small ZPD officer. "Dude, now is _not_ the time to do something stupid."

"Don't worry, I won't. I just need to say my piece." Shouldering his way through the crowd, he shouted over the clamor of voices around them. "Hey, rabbit! You've got a lot of nerve, you know that?"

She spun toward the sound of his voice, purple eyes widening when she spotted him striding purposefully toward her. Her momentary shock faded quickly, replaced by a stern expression. "Sir, I'm going to need you to move along."

Ignoring her command, Gary continued forward until he was practically looming over her. "Just where the hell do _you_ get off standing out here like some kind of peacemaker, huh? You started all of this, and now you think you can just come out here and tell everyone to play nice?!"

"Sir, I..." Pausing, she peered at him curiously. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Yeah, actually. You do." They stood in silence as she waited for him to continue. He didn't.

"May I ask from where?"

"Knock yourself out."

He once again fell silent. She gave him an annoyed look when his meaning dawned on her, and continued impatiently. "Where do I know you from?"

"Fuck you." He snapped, startling her again. "I said you could ask, rabbit. Never said I'd tell you. Figure it out yourself."

"I..."

"Actually, I have a better one for you. Before these last couple of months, I dare you to name a single instance of a predator behaving even slightly _savage_ in the last hundred years." He snorted when she failed to answer. "I didn't think so."

"Just because it hasn't happened before doesn't mean..."

"Shut it, rabbit. It's been thousands of years - literally _thousands_ \- since any mammalian species actively preyed on another. All of that ended before Zootopia was even an idea. Predators have done _nothing_ to you, but every time you little tiny prey idiots get spooked you cower in the corner as if we're going to gobble you up." He leaned in a little closer. "Be honest, rabbit; between pred and prey, which side really sounds like they're a slave to their base instincts?"

"I...that's different."

"Said the cute little bunny."

" _Don't_ call me cute."

"Really? You want to hear some of the things _I've_ been called this week?"

"That's it." She snapped angrily. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't arrest you right now!"

"For _what_? Hurting your feelings?" Though he hadn't pulled any punches so far, even Gary was a little surprised when the last dig seemed to knock the wind right out of her. "What? No answer for that one?"

"I was trying to make the world a better place." She practically whispered, looking down at her paws. The words sounded strong, but the way she spoke them rang hollow. Like an old mantra she didn't really believe anymore.

"I honestly couldn't give a fuck what you were _trying_ to do, hop-along." He growled, glaring down at her. "You may have _wanted_ to make the world a better place, but all you've managed to do is break it. Do yourself a favor and think on that."

Not bothering to wait for her response, Gary turned and walked back to where Larry was waiting for him.

"Shit, man." Larry glanced over his friend's shoulder at the dejected-looking rabbit. "What was all that about?"

"Karma." Gary answered shortly. "C'mon. We're done here."

* * *

 **Next week will mark the one-year anniversary of Forty Glimpses, and it's also when I'll be posting one of the most anticipated/feared stories in this collection - Expert.**

 **Enjoy. :)**


	35. Expert

_"_ _I don't know what to do." She whispered. "You know I'm really not great with relationships."_

 _He sighed, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "And you actually want my advice?"_

 _"I want my best friend's advice, Nick." She replied, looking up at the fox. "Not my ex-husband's."_

* * *

First, they loved each other - though neither one of them had made it easy. Even summoning the courage to ask the bunny out had been an unparalleled emotional struggle for Nick.

Then they'd been in love, albeit discretely. Wrapped in the warmth of their newly shared romance, for a while they were able to forget about the world and its prejudices. But all too soon, the giddy thrill of a new relationship gave way to practicality, and they were forced to acknowledge the seriousness of what they were getting themselves into. Although interspecies relationships weren't illegal, strictly speaking, they weren't without consequences. They'd both worked hard to get to where they were. It wasn't a decision to be taken lightly.

Finally, when they were ready, they were lovers – and from that moment there was no turning back. Any mammal with a half-decent nose knew exactly what they were up to, and more than a few of them weren't very happy about it.

Through all the shouted slurs and muttered remarks, disgusted looks and hateful sneers, they kept telling each other that the opinions of small-minded mammals didn't matter. They believed that their love was strong enough to endure whatever the world threw at them, and after a few months the jeers and public insults they'd been forced to put up with petered out. Eventually mammals seemed to realize that yelling and name-calling wasn't going to change anything.

However, although tacit acceptance from the public was a relief, it wasn't nearly as precious as acceptance from the mammals closest to them.

Their fellow officers were, for the most part, supportive. There were a few frowns and a couple of snide comments, but Chief Bogo put a stop to those almost immediately. The only unsettling moment had been when the Chief had called the pair into his office and asked, surprisingly gently, if they were certain about the path they had chosen. Although he could prevent the outward signs of discrimination against them, and intended to do so without hesitation, even he couldn't control what mammals thought. He'd warned them, in no uncertain terms, that their relationship _would_ come at a cost. They'd assured him that it was a price they were willing to pay.

Finnick had surprised them both, accepting their relationship without hesitation. Although he hadn't been very polite about it ("Ain't my business where another mammal sticks it."), Nick and Judy had both appreciated the support.

Despite her conservative upbringing, Fru Fru had stood by her close friend. Her father, on the other hand, refused to see either of them, saying outright that Judy should not be his granddaughter's godmother when the bunny herself stood as an affront to God.

Nick's mother and father were long-dead, but the fox held no illusion about how they would have regarded his mate. They had been good foxes, but very traditional ones, as well. The idea of their son being with a member of another species, let alone a prey species, would not have gone over well. Judy's parents, however, were alive and well. So, when she and Nick began talking seriously about getting married, Judy made the decision to tell them.

Nick was understandably hesitant to do so, but she'd assured him that his fears were unfounded. He had been a welcome visitor in the Hopps household many times. Her father had called him a friend, her mother called him sweetheart, and her dozens upon dozens of younger siblings loved him like a favorite uncle. She'd been so certain that they'd grown beyond their former prejudices that she'd arranged for them to spend the entire weekend in Bunnyburrow.

One of her multitude of brothers had picked them up at the train station, and they'd arrived at the Hopps Burrow just in time for Friday night dinner. Despite his initial uncertainty, Nick actually began to relax as they were met at the door with smiles and ushered into the dining hall to be seated at the head table, right across from Bonnie and Stu.

The non-smell of the scent-blocker they wore had earned them a few puzzled looks, but although they'd come to reveal their relationship, they wanted to do it on their terms. They had just begun the main course when Judy had proudly informed her parents that she and Nick were together and everything fell to pieces.

Her father's expression shifted so rapidly that it had been like changing the channel on a television. She'd never seen him so angry, standing across the table and hurling a torrent of speciest hatred the likes of which she wouldn't have thought him capable of. He'd accused the fox of twisting his daughter's morals, ruining her for any other decent mammal, soiling her inside and out.

Judy had taken hold of her boyfriend's paw under the table as he suffered the abuse with uncharacteristic silence, staring blankly at the enraged buck. His only outward sign of anxiety was the gentle squeeze he gave her paw in return, and the tail that curled around Judy's leg.

Bonnie had fled to the kitchen the moment they'd revealed their relationship, and Judy could hear her weeping even over her father's shouts. Torn between the need to stay with Nick and the desire to go and comfort her crying mother, she'd been completely unprepared when her father turned on her, branding her as a pervert and swearing that he was ashamed for having raised her. Nearly paralyzed with shock, her mind had begun to spin in denial. 'This isn't my dad. My dad loves me, he loves my boyfriend, and any second now he'll say so and everything will be okay.'

Eyes clenched shut, it took her a second to notice that her father's tirade had come to an abrupt halt. Opening her eyes anxiously, she saw that he'd gone pale as a sheet. Her fox had stood, looming over the suddenly terrified buck even as his tail had curled protectively around her. Following her father's stare, she'd been shocked to discover three deep furrows carved into the wooden tabletop, each one ending at one of Nick's claws.

" _No_."

Nick had growled the word – really _growled_ it. Judy had heard her boyfriend growl before, in anger or irritation. Nick's growl was a faint sound in the back of his throat that she could usually quell with a quick scratch behind the ears. This had been a low rumble that poured from the centre of his chest, a deep vibration that made her nose twitch involuntarily and seemed to remind every rabbit in the dining hall why they'd once feared this predator above all others.

Wrenching his claws from the table's surface, he'd turned toward her and made a questioning gesture toward the exit. She'd racked her mind for any way the situation could possibly be salvaged, but the way things had gone was so far from what she'd expected that she couldn't begin to come up with an answer. Instead she let Nick take her paw in his own as they made their way out. Their visit was so short that their bags still sat next to the door, easily picked up as they left. Her father, obviously feeling bolder now that the predator was outside, made his final stance clear by standing in the burrow door and commanding them never to return.

There had been no ride back into town; the pair were forced to walk to the train station. Twice along the way, Judy had tried to turn back, insisting that it must have been a misguided prank that had simply gone too far, or that perhaps her parents had misunderstood somehow. Both times, Nick had wrapped his arms around her and held her until her denial crumbled away. They'd just barely caught the eleven o'clock train back to the city, and Judy had cried the whole way home.

It would be seven months before either of her parents would speak to her again, and almost two years before they would acknowledge Nick as her mate.

Nick had proposed to her a month after their disastrous visit to the Hopps farm, and it had been simple and beautiful and so very _him_. They'd been walking through the park and had stopped by a pond to watch some kits playing with their toy boats. He'd turned to face her, taking her paw as he produced a small box from his pocket. Her breath had caught in her throat when he'd opened it, revealing a single diamond on a slim silver band.

Looking up, she found him smiling softly. "I'm still in if you are, Carrots."

Unable to trust her voice, she'd nodded heartily and thrown her arms around him, silently promising to never let go.

Finding a government official who was willing to issue them a marriage license had been challenging, to say the least. Some refused on moral grounds, looking down on the pair as deviants. Others cited more practical reasons, such as their honest fear of losing their jobs.

Finally, they found an elderly koala in a small Rainforest District government office. He'd looked over their paperwork, eyed the pair for a moment, then stamped the license and signed his name. He reminded them they still needed to go before a Justice of the Peace, but provided them with a few sympathetic names. The actual wedding, if it could be called as much, was a very small affair – almost insignificant by bunny standards. Just the two of them, a few very close friends, and the Justice who performed the abridged ceremony.

It was strange that being married actually seemed to change things a little. It wasn't total acceptance by any means, but on the surface the world seemed to uncomfortably acknowledge their relationship as a legitimate one. It took them quite a while to realize that the prejudice hadn't vanished – it had just changed shape. Like when someone would shake Nick's paw, then subtly wipe their own on their pant leg when they thought his back was turned. Or when some male would start hitting on Judy, refusing to take no for an answer because they assumed she liked being 'dominated'.

What's more, they didn't even have the luxury of dealing with these issues privately. As soon as word of their marriage had gotten out, the Public Relations office at City Hall had gone into overdrive.

It had been a hundred times worse than the period after Bellwether's arrest. Suddenly their faces were on billboards and in television commercials, the new symbol of interspecies cooperation. Reporters hounded them for weeks, their faces routinely appeared in the tabloids, and their sudden notoriety made them next to useless as patrol officers.

Despite their fame, their outstanding performance and their spotless records, both of them were passed over for advancement time and again. The only time Judy had complained to Chief Bogo, the buffalo had pinned her to her seat with a glare. "No, Hopps, it _isn't_ fair. It's petty bigotry and in a better world it wouldn't even exist, but you and Wilde were warned from the beginning that everything has a price. Even love."

Nurtured by their growing frustration, petty annoyances began to stand out more and more.

She kicked in her sleep.

He played music too loudly for her sensitive ears.

She chewed up all their pencils.

He shed his fur on the furniture.

She woke up too early.

He stayed up too late.

They never really talked about the things that bothered them. They were 'Nick and Judy', after all – City Hall's shining beacon for a new tomorrow. Deep down, they felt guilty for being bothered at all, struggling with the unspoken belief that if one of them felt unhappy it was a failure for both.

As things between them grew more and more strained, each of them tried to work through it in their own unique way. Judy approached each problem with the same aggressive tenacity that had gotten her into the ZPD. She closely analyzed each challenge, determined the best solution, and committed herself to seeing that solution through. Nick would respond to problems more passively, resolving not to get too wrapped up in the little things. He knew how difficult life could be and found that going with the flow made it easier to focus on the things that mattered most.

He saw her as nagging and overbearing, she saw him as apathetic and uncommitted, and very slowly that indefinable spark that had made them such an amazing team began to go out.

As time went on, they talked about things less and argued about them more. Affectionate teasing had degraded into sharp criticism, secrets told in confidence were now wielded as weapons. They could barely work together, and no one else could stand working with them either. Some days they couldn't even bear to be in the same room. At least once a week, a shift would end with either Judy crying in the female lockers or Nick brutalizing one of the gym's punching bags.

To make matters worse, any attempt Chief Bogo made at assigning them to new partners or transferring one of them to a different precinct was blocked by City Hall. The Mayor's office, either oblivious or unconcerned toward their failing marriage, was still trying to parade the pair around as the poster-mammals for interspecies unity.

Finally, the Chief hauled them both into his office and informed them – very loudly and in no uncertain terms – that they had reached their last chance. He ordered them to take two weeks of unpaid leave and explicitly told them to have _no_ contact with one another for the first five days. Upon their return, if they hadn't learned to leave their emotional baggage at the door then they'd be leaving their badges on his desk.

Judy returned to Bunnyburrow to be with her more accepting family members, and for the first two days both of them stubbornly refused to acknowledge how much _better_ they felt with the other one absent.

When Judy came home, she and her husband sat down for a very difficult and long-overdue conversation. Neither of them smiled and both cried at one point or another. When it was over, Nick packed a bag to go stay with Finnick and Judy slept in an empty home for the first time in years.

The cruelest part was that they didn't love each other any less; they'd just lost their way trying to _be_ together. The divorce had been quick and relatively amicable. They had pledged to spend their lives together, but the Friday before they had to return to work they were sitting in a lawyer's office arranging to have their individual lives back. They'd split up their assets, found new apartments, and prepared to move on with their lives.

It took a while for them to begin working as a team again, and their new partnership evolved very differently than it had before. For the first half-year they were almost coldly professional to one another, effective on the job but rarely engaging in any conversation not work related. The next few months could be called polite, followed by another few months of being hesitantly agreeable. It was nearly a year and a half before they were back to being friendly.

Their carefully rebuilt friendship had nearly come apart again when Nick started dating Kira. The pretty vixen worked at KZOO radio and had been at Precinct One for a press conference. She'd approached Nick with a smile, been charming and sweet, and immediately accepted his invitation to dinner.

As much as she loathed the idea of being _that_ ex-wife, Judy had wanted to hate Kira _so much._ She watched the vixen's every move, analyzed every word she said, and had even gone so far as to violate regulations by looking her up in the ZPD database. To her disappointment, though, Kira was by all accounts a good mammal; one who was surprisingly accepting that her boyfriend still spent so much time with his ex.

So, although she couldn't bring herself to _like_ the other female, Judy managed so settle into a stable sense of benevolent apathy. Whenever that mean little voice in the back of her mind reared its ugly head, she'd reminded herself that she had chosen to get a divorce; no one had put a gun to her head and forced her to sign the paperwork. Those reminders became a mantra a year later, when Nick asked Kira to marry him.

Judy had to be particularly creative in order to support Nick while he planned for his upcoming wedding, while simultaneously pretending none of it was happening. Hearing him compare caterers made her recall that their wedding, such as it was, had basically been catered by the pizza place across the street from their apartment. His complaints about the ever-growing guest list only reminded her that she could have counted their guest list on both paws and still had fingers left over.

Eventually, she had put her foot down and told Nick how he was making her feel, and the utterly stricken look on the fox's face had almost made her wish she hadn't said anything. He'd begun furiously apologizing, insisting that he hadn't realized how insensitive he'd been, and naturally she'd forgiven him. Then it had been filed away with all the other things they just didn't talk about anymore.

After she'd functionally side-lined herself, Nick had approached Finnick about being his best mammal. Once again, the fennec's response came as a surprise when he categorically refused to have any part in Nick and Kira's wedding. When Nick had pressed the issue & demanded to know why, he'd found himself on the receiving end of his friend's infamous temper.

"Foxes mate for _life_ , Wilde, and you took an _oath_. You stood in front of the _gods_ and swore 'till death do us part'." The small fox had growled. "You broke that oath, so now you can keep me outta your bullshit do-over."

Nick and Finnick didn't talk much after that, and Nick ended up getting married without a best mammal.

After their unpleasant conversation about Nick's constant wedding chatter, he'd been torn about inviting Judy at all. Kira had insisted that he at least _ask_ her, insisting that there was no point in mending the bridges between them if he was never going to test them. When Nick told her about that, Judy tried very hard not to be annoyed at the vixen.

For her part, Judy had been equally torn about actually _going_. As much as she wanted to move on, a piece of her still desperately clung to the past. Each step she took forward stretched that piece a little thinner, somehow made it a little smaller and a little more painful at the same time. In the end, though, she agreed to attend - if for no other reason than to prove to herself that she _was_ moving forward.

Ironically, it was at their wedding that Judy met Michael. The dark-furred bunny hosted KZOO's morning show, and was every bit as engaging in person as he was on the air. The pair had struck a rapport instantly, talking and laughing for practically the entire reception.

Michael had assured her that he didn't expect her to instantly settle down and start popping out kits. Though he did want to be a father one day, he had no desire to move out of the city. She'd appreciated his honesty, and confessed that she'd begun thinking about motherhood. Not on the same scale as her own mother, of course; three-hundred-plus kits was a terrifying concept. But two or three was an idea she could get behind. He'd agreed, emphasizing his support for her career as a police officer and noting that his own much-more-flexible schedule was far more conducive to parenthood.

In hindsight, Judy could understand why other mammals generally considered bunny first-date conversations to be a little...intense.

Life seemed to brighten after that. Judy didn't feel so lonely going home at night, Nick seemed to smile more than he smirked, and the faint but ever-present tension between them gradually eased away. Michael was the very definition of a gentlemammal; sweet and kind and probably more patient than she deserved. But although she liked him, her failed marriage left her more than a little skittish about investing in a new relationship. Soon enough, she found herself side-stepping any conversation that might lead to a long-term commitment and despite his easygoing nature she could tell that the buck was getting a little frustrated.

She tried to figure things out for herself, but kept hitting the same old walls.

And all of that had brought her to this moment, sitting in a quiet coffee shop across from the only mammal she could think of who'd _really_ understand.

"I don't know what to do." She whispered. "You know I'm really not great with relationships."

Nick winced, silently reminding himself that Judy wasn't just referring to them. After all these years, their failed marriage still pained him - like the dull ache of an injury that never healed right. Sighing, he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "And you actually want _my_ advice?"

"I want my best friend's advice, Nick." She replied, looking up at the fox. "Not my ex-husband's."

"Uh...okay." Nick's left ear twitched as he considered her situation. "It's hard to move on, but standing still is worse. You have to leave your pain in the past if you're going to have a future."

"Nick, are you just quoting fortune cookies?"

"No."

"Are you quoting _Kira_ quoting fortune cookies?"

"Um...maybe."

"You know what? Forget it. I'll find someone else to talk to." She snapped as she got up to walk away. "Serves me right for thinking you'd take this seriously."

"No, wait! Carrots, wait up!" Running after her, he caught up just before she reached the door. "Okay, I know you said you didn't want it, but you're going to have to settle for your ex-husband's advice anyway."

"Nick, I..."

"Just shut up and listen for a second, will you?"

Allowing him to lead her back to their table, she dropped into her seat, crossed her arms, and glared at the fox expectantly.

"Look, our marriage fell apart because we took it for granted and didn't do the work it took to maintain it. Maybe in another life things could have gone differently, but just because we couldn't make it work doesn't mean it never will. I'll _always_ love you, and any mammal that _doesn't_ love you is a damn fool. But we had our shot and we screwed it up. It took me a long time to stop punishing myself for that, and I think it's time you did the same." He sighed. "What it comes down to is this; you _are_ allowed to try again, and you _are_ allowed to be happy. If you love Michael, you're allowed to be happy with him."

Simple as it was, Nick's declaration had been a missing puzzle piece for her; the brief snippet of conversation that finally allowed her to try and move on. Michael had proposed four months later, and Judy had been so happy to say yes.

Naturally, not long after _that_ , the universe decided it was time to knock their world on its side once again.

"Carrots!" Nick was practically bouncing with joyful energy as he ran up to their shared desk. "CarrotsCarrotsCarrotsCarrots!"

Putting aside the case file she'd been reviewing, she eyed her partner curiously. "What's up?"

"Carrots, you're never gonna believe it!"

"Not if you don't tell me, Slick."

"I'm gonna be a _dad_!"

"You're _what?_ "

"Kira's pregnant! We're having kits!"

"Nick, I..." She blinked dumbly as her brain sprinted to catch up with this latest development. "What?"

"Kira and I are having kits!" He shouted. "Someone other than Kira is gonna be calling me daddy!"

Ignoring his last comment and giving her head a brief shake, Judy gave him the biggest smile she could manage. "That's amazing, Nick. I'm really happy for you. And admittedly a little scared for your kits."

"Hey!"

Laughing at his indignation helped her pretend the tiny pang in her stomach was hunger. "So, how far along is she?"

"Two weeks, so there's still another six to go." He looked suddenly apprehensive. "Oh, god. Only six weeks. I've got so much to do! I have to kit-proof things! I have to kit-proof _everything_! What am I gonna do?!"

"Calm down, Nick. Just breathe."

" _You_ calm down! Do you know how many dangerous things there are in our apartment? Because I don't! What if I miss something and one of the kits gets hurt! I'm the worst father in the world!"

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed hold of his snout and pulled him down to eye level. "Calm. Down."

Glaring at him, she realized that she hadn't seen his eyes this closely since...well, since he'd still been her husband. She almost forgotten about the tiny hints of gold hidden amongst the emerald green. As his breathing began to slow, each outgoing breath tickled her whiskers and she was suddenly aware of other things that were much closer than they'd been in a long time.

Deep in her belly, she felt another pang of...something. It was probably whatever she had for breakfast.

Releasing him, she took a step back and tried to compose herself. "I...er...sorry. You were kinda..."

"Freaking out?" He supplied. "Yeah...I guess it all sorta hit me at once."

"It's okay. Even with almost three hundred kits, my dad still went mental over every litter." Judy couldn't tell if he was unaffected by the awkwardness she felt, or if he was just better at hiding it. Either way, it wasn't the first time something had reminded her of their ill-fated marriage. It probably wouldn't be the last, either. "Just remember you're not in it alone. I'll be there whenever you need help."

The anxiety vanished from his face, replaced by a dangerously familiar smirk. "Actually, it's funny you should say that, because I had a question for you."

"You do?" She asked, suspicious of his sudden change in demeanor.

"Yup." He leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. "You feel like being a godmother again?"

"Godmother? Me?"

"Who else? I mean, I _could_ ask Bogo, but I'm not sure the title would suit him."

"Wait, are you trying to _hustle_ me into being godmother to your kits?"

"Sorta." He shrugged. "You're going to say yes anyway, so I just wanted to have some fun asking."

"Ugh...I _am_ going to say yes, too." She crossed her arms and glowered at him. "Fine."

"Thanks, Carrots! You're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"No, seriously." He knelt down, placing his paws on her shoulders and giving her a warm, genuine smile. "You're my best friend, Judy. I know we've been through a lot over the last few years, but I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

Then he pulled her into a tight hug and Judy's stomach pinched once more. Deep down, she begrudgingly admitted that _maybe_ it felt a _little_ like jealousy.

For the next month, Nick was the very definition of the expectant father. He'd bought the best crib he could find, and while Judy was assembling it (after he gave up in frustration) he'd rushed around the apartment as he tried to kit-proof everything in sight. When he wasn't at home, he was either shopping for baby supplies or researching them online. He shared so many little facts and how-to's while they were patrolling that Judy almost forgot what it was like to talk about _anything_ else. Between that and a hundred other preparations, the pregnancy seemed to pass in the blink of an eye...for everyone but Kira, at least.

All too soon – much too soon for Judy's liking, to be honest – the due date was nearly upon them and it was time for Nick to begin his parental leave. Watching her partner pack up his desk in preparation for his long absence, she quietly contemplated how she was going to keep herself occupied for the next eight weeks.

"So," Judy leaned back in her chair, idly toying with her pen. "By my count, Kira's due in a week?"

"Yeah." A warm smile crept across the fox's face. "Yeah, she is."

"How's she holding up?"

"She says she feels fine, but our doctor has some concerns." He waved off her worried expression. "Nothing too bad, but he's put her on mandatory bed rest from tomorrow up until the kits come, just in case."

"Heh...she must _love_ that idea."

"She's not a fan, but she knows it's for the best. And since this may very well be our last opportunity for quite a while, I'm taking her out for dinner and dancing tonight. Well, dinner at least."

"Sounds very romantic." She pretended to frown. "Not really fair, though. I put in all that effort, and it's your _second_ wife that reaps the benefits?"

Their shared laughter lasted a few seconds before they both realized what Judy had just said. Up till that moment, there had been an unspoken agreement between them; they could talk about their former marriage, but they weren't allowed to _joke_ about it.

"I..." She began. "I just meant..."

Taking a risk, Nick interrupted her. "C'mon, Carrots. It wouldn't be the first time you did all the work and I'm the one who comes out looking awesome."

Another short silence followed as they both tried to get a grasp on what they were feeling.

"Well..." Judy smiled hesitantly. "You're on your own now, Slick. I'm Godmother to your _kits_ , not you."

"Poor little things."

They shared another laugh, and finally it felt like the last weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Thinking back on their marriage, she was amazed to discover that the memories didn't hurt anymore.

"Hey Carrots, you busy tomorrow?"

Coming back to the present, she shook her head. "Nope. What's up?"

"Well, Kira's obviously not going anywhere, and she told me that if she catches me doing anymore kit-proofing around the house she'll kit-proof my head." He winced a little. "I'm not entirely sure what that means, but it sounds really unpleasant."

"You're probably right." She agreed with a laugh.

"Anyway, you want to hang out or something? It's feels like forever since we went to see a movie or rode the gondolas."

Judy couldn't help the grin that lit up her face. "I'd love to."

"Cool. I'll give you a call tomorrow then." He gave her a playfully stern look. "And don't stay here working all night."

"I won't."

"I'm serious. Michael would probably like to see you sometime this month."

"Get out of here!" She laughed, tossing a pencil at him. "Isn't there some helpless knocked-up vixen you should be bothering?"

"I'm going! I'm going!" Paws held up in surrender, he gave her a wink as he pushed the door open and backed out of the room. "G'night, Carrots."

"Good night, Nick."

Watching him leave, Judy felt a warm glow return to her heart. The last three years had been a long and painful road, but she and Nick were finally – _finally_ – returning to the friendship they'd had so long ago. Their natural banter had returned, as had their knack for knowing what the other was thinking. In the last four months, their case closure rate had tripled. Unfortunately, that meant that their paperwork had tripled as well. That was why, three hours later, Judy was still hard at work when Chief Bogo approached her desk.

"Hopps." He said, surprising her. Although it wasn't uncommon to see him here late into the evening, he rarely left his office and routinely discouraged his officers from following his example.

"I know, sir. I just need to finish off a few things, then I _promise_ I'll go home." Smiling sheepishly, she gestured to the stacks of paper that threatened to swallow her desk whole.

"Judy, stop."

It wasn't just that he'd used her first name. There was something in his voice, something she couldn't quite identify, that made her blood run cold. "Sir?"

"There's..." Bogo hesitated, lowering himself onto one knee. "There's been an accident."

The trip from the precinct to the hospital had been a featureless blur and Judy didn't remember all of it; a few facts just spun lazily through her numbed consciousness. An accident, Bogo had called it. Accident...such a bland, stupid word for what had happened.

A rhino who'd had a few too many drinks got behind the wheel, lost control of the vehicle, and had swerved into the patio of a Savanna Central Bistro. The restaurant, which catered to mid-sized mammals, had been fully booked that evening.

Over a dozen mammals had been killed in the crash. Over a dozen mammals – including two foxes.

Though the EMTs had tried their best, Nick had been declared dead as soon as he reached the hospital. Later, a doctor would gently tell her that he'd thrown himself over his wife in a desperate bid to protect her. The only comfort he could offer her was that the fox probably hadn't felt any pain.

Kira had been rushed into surgery, and the on-call surgical team had done everything in their power to save the kits - even after Kira herself had died. Although two of the kits had been killed instantly and the surgeons had been unsuccessful in resuscitating the third, the fourth and smallest of the litter had survived.

On the outside, she'd been the picture of calm. She'd nodded at all the right moments, asked the right questions, coolly made sure she had all the facts. Inside, she howled with rage and grief. Nicholas Wilde had been - and would always be - the love of her life, and he'd been so suddenly and cruelly ripped from the world that it felt like a piece of her heart had been carved out.

She pushed the anger and pain away, though; drove it down into a far-away part of her mind. Standing in the hospital's nursery, she gazed down at the bundle in her arms. She knew there would be plenty of tears to come, but that wasn't what this poor little fox needed right now.

"Hey there, little guy. I'm Judy. I'm... I'm your godmother." She fought to control her trembling voice. "I-I'm going to be taking care of you. I thought there'd be someone else, too...I mean, I didn't think it'd just be the two of us."

She fought back a wave of anger at the memory of her last conversation with Michael. Sweet as he'd been to her, the prospect of raising a fox kit had left a bad taste in her fiancée's mouth. He'd blithely suggested they turn the kit over to the city and wash their paws of the whole affair, and she'd slapped him hard enough to send him sprawling on the floor. All in all, it pretty effectively signaled the end of their relationship.

"Nick...your dad...he saved you." She gently brushed her paw over the newborn's cheek. "He was going to name you Christopher, and he gave his life to protect you."

She paused, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

"I've...uh...I've never taken care of a baby fox before, but I've got almost two hundred younger siblings so I'm pretty much an expert at taking care of baby bunnies. How different could it be?" For the kit's sake, Judy tried to smile. "I won't be the same as your mom and dad, but I promise I'll do the best I can."

The tiny fox let out a soft whine and began to sniffle.

"Shush now, it's okay." Judy murmured, finally losing the struggle with her own tears as she gently rocked the tiny mammal in her arms. "I promise, we're gonna be okay."


	36. Complex

_Try as she might, she couldn't save everyone. And every time a failure left her feeling a little broken inside, he'd come along to pick up the pieces._

* * *

ooooo  
 ** _JUNE_** _  
_ooooo

Sometimes Judy felt as though her luck had dried up right after she graduated from the academy, the same day that Assistant Mayor Bellwether had died.

The soft-spoken ewe - who'd fallen victim to a run-of-the-mill traffic collision - had seemed like a kind, if slightly shy, mammal. However, the process of clearing out her office had uncovered evidence of a particularly vicious conspiracy – one that included the Missing Mammals case and had the devious little sheep right at its center. Judy hadn't taken part in the subsequent investigation, but when the ZPD arrested Mayor Lionheart in connection to the case, the papers said that he'd been keeping the afflicted mammals in captivity at Cliffside Asylum.

More than slightly concerned about how far the conspiracy might have reached, the city council had immediately suspended all of the major policies, programs and initiatives that Bellwether had worked on or even been vocally supportive of; naturally, this included the Mammal Inclusion Initiative.

Judy was already a member of the ZPD, and the suspension of the MII couldn't change that. The police officer's union had stepped in to ensure that she wouldn't be fired, but without the support of City Hall, Chief Bogo had wasted no time transferring her out of Precinct One and banishing her to a Community Policing office in East Savanna Central.

The Community Policing program had been the pet-project of one of Mayor Lionheart's predecessors, who had worked with the ZPD to develop a new approach to law enforcement. Dozens of small offices were established throughout the city with the intent of giving citizens a place where they felt comfortable interacting with their local officers. Unfortunately, the program wasn't very successful. Few officers volunteered to trade their patrol cruiser for a desk, and those that did were no less intimidating in an office than they were on the street.

As a result, most of the Community Policing offices sat empty, used only for storage and occasionally as a place for patrol officers to take their lunch break in peace.

When Judy had first arrived at the her new office, nestled snugly between a shoe store and a small grocer, every surface had been covered with an impressive layer of dust. Most of the space behind the counter had been taken up by boxes filled with out-of-date posters and pamphlets. To her extreme displeasure, she even discovered some pigeons roosting in the back room, making their way in and out through a broken window. Judy was no stranger to hard work, however, and after a week the office was looking quite presentable.

Even though she wasn't exactly living her dream of striving toward truth, justice and the Zootopian way, Judy tried to focus on the bright side. She got to act as liaison officer to local schools, give classroom presentations, and even patrol the neighborhood once in a while. The local mammals were polite, and she certainly didn't mind saying goodbye to the meter maid vest. Plus, the office was just a few minutes' walk from her apartment.

It wasn't all flowers and sunshine, though. She had her share of challenges, the most irritating being the mammal currently loitering in front of the community police office. Namely, a red-furred pain in her tail named...

"Nicholas Wilde."

"Officer Carrots! How nice to see you!" Standing between her and the CP office's front door, the fox chuckled at her attempted scowl. "Aw. Why so cranky this morning? Wake up on the wrong side of the burrow?"

"I'm really not in the mood today, Mr. Wilde."

"C'mon now. You'll never save the world with that kind of attitude." He smirked at the bunny as she walked around him. "Where's that glowing savior complex we all know and love?"

"Still asleep." She peered at him suspiciously. "Why are you here so early? Did you really get out of bed and beat me here just to annoy me?"

"It just so happens that I was already in the area doing entirely legal things." He leaned down to her height. "Annoying you is just a bonus."

Unlocking the office's front door, she muttered something unintelligible and took an angry bite out of her vegetarian breakfast wrap. She hoped that he would interpret that as the end of their conversation, but to her dismay the fox just followed her in and leaned casually against the front counter.

"Hey, I know a joke that'll cheer you right up. What do you call a three-humped camel?"

She'd met the fox her first day with the ZPD, and it had been quite possibly the most infuriating conversation of her life – at least up to that point. He'd belittled her, patronized her, brushed off her dreams as a joke, and ultimately lured her into a puddle of wet cement.

The next time she saw him, after she'd been reassigned to the CP office, he'd been selling those damned pawpsicles on a street corner in _her_ neighborhood. She'd immediately resolved to dig up something on the fox that would at least scare him off. She thought she'd been on the right track with personal income tax evasion, but when she took a couple of days to verify her findings she discovered that the fox legitimately _didn't_ have any personal income. All the revenue from the pawpsicle sales (as well as a few other shady-but-frustratingly-legal ventures) went to Reynard  & Son LLC, a limited liability corporation that was co-owned by Nick and the temperamental fennec he worked with. All of their personal expenses were covered by the LLC, and its tax records were _flawless._

More than anything else, it annoyed Judy to no end that the corporation's revenue was around the same amount as her own ZPD salary. If he was going to skirt the edges of the law, did he really have to make decent money doing it?

"You've told me that joke before. It won't be any funnier the second time around." She shook her head. "You must have better things you could be doing right now."

Shrugging, he began idly flipping through a pamphlet about teenage drug use. "Not really. Certainly nothing so entertaining."

"Really?" Throwing her small backpack into a chair, she spun to glare at the taller mammal. "Does getting on my nerves _really_ entertain you that much?"

"Yup. Cheaper than a movie, too."

"You know, if you've got so much free time maybe you could try doing something _constructive_ for once."

"I'll have you know that I'm providing a vital service."

"Pawpsicles _aren't_ a vital service, Mr. Wilde."

He shrugged. "That depends on how hot it is outside."

"And you've never thought about doing something else? Something...I don't know... _more_?"

"Can't say as I have, Carrots. It's like I keep telling you..."

Sensing him preparing for an encore presentation of his 'You can only be what you are' monologue, Judy finally hit her limit. "You know what? I think it's about time you put your money where your mouth is."

Pointing that intensely frustrating smirk at her, he asked, "And how would I do that, exactly?"

"By actually _trying_ to prove that we can both be more than what the world says we are."

"This again? I swear, you should start printing bumper stickers or something."

"I'm serious! If you never actually _try_ to be more, than how can you say for sure that it wouldn't work?"

"Oh, I've got plenty of experience to show that it doesn't."

"Yeah? Prove it."

"I don't have to prove _anything_ to you."

"Then if it's all the same to you, I'll just assume you've been too lazy to make the effort." She gestured dismissively toward the door. "Off you go, now. Those vital pawpsicles aren't going to sell themselves, are they?"

"I wasn't born yesterday, Carrots. I know what you're trying to do, and frankly I'm a little insulted that you thought a little reverse-psychology could trick me."

"Just what do you think I'm trying to trick you into?"

"Don't know. Don't care. Not taking the bait."

"Well, I wouldn't say bait so much as a bet."

Peering at her skeptically, he returned to leaning on the counter. "What kind of bet, exactly?"

"The kind where the loser forfeits three months of income to the winner." His skeptical expression didn't falter, but the way his tail twitched told her that she had his attention.

"I'm listening."

"Well, we'll both have a year..."

"A _year_?" He repeated incredulously.

"Let me finish. We both have a year to see who can do more to help the mammals in this neighborhood. And before you think you can just mooch off my ideas, if we both do the same thing than it doesn't count." She paused, considering. "And whatever you do has to be _legal_."

"Well gosh, that just takes all the fun out of it." He snarked, rolling his eyes. "Are you seriously challenging me to a year-long do-gooder competition?"

"Yup." She grinned, bouncing on her toes slightly. "If you're up to it, that is."

"You do realize I don't even _live_ in this neighborhood."

"Excuses, excuses." She held out her paw. "Are you in or not, Wilde?"

"Y'know what? I _am_ in." Smiling crookedly, he took her paw in his own and shook firmly. "And because I'm such a nice fella, I won't even make you pay when you give up on this bunny-cop nonsense and run on home."

"I wouldn't count on it, Wilde."

ooooo  
 ** _JULY_** _  
_ooooo

The one-year countdown had commenced on the first of the month, and their competition got off to a slow start.

For her part, Judy began by spending an hour every afternoon volunteering at the library and Sunday mornings cleaning up litter in the park. Rather pleased with herself, it took her almost two weeks to notice that there was less graffiti on the local buildings. And it wasn't that there was less appearing; the existing graffiti was vanishing as well, replaced by freshly painted walls.

Once she noticed, though, it took less than a day to find the culprits – a trio of kits with paintbrushes, a drop-cloth and a couple of small step-ladders. "Hey! What are you three doing?"

Startled by the appearance of a police officer, it took a moment for the largest of them to find his voice. "O-our job, officer."

"Your job?" She repeated, peering at the clean surface.

"Yup. We got hired to paint over these tags."

"We're gettin' paid twenty bucks a wall!" The youngest added.

"Paid by whom, exactly?" All three pointed behind her, where she wasn't surprised to find Wilde leaning against a wall, smirking at her.

"Howdy, Carrots."

"Mr. Wilde, you can't just pay children to do the work for you."

"It's called subcontracting."

"It's called cheating!"

"First, you never specified that I couldn't hire help. Second, why can't I?"

"Because...because...they're kids!"

"That's right, officer. Kids who've just gotten their first job, who're learning the benefits of hard work, and who're doing their part to make the world a better place." She could practically _feel_ the smugness radiating from him. "But if you really think I'm cheating, I could just fire them."

She kept her annoyed stare up for a few more seconds, then relented. "No, you don't have to do that."

"Fantastic." He quipped, casually flipping a pawpsicle stick into a nearby trash can. "Now if you'll excuse us, time is money and there are other buildings to take care of."

oooooooo  
 ** _AUGUST_** _  
_oooooooo

Despite her best efforts, Judy found the next month particularly frustrating. The fox's keen business acumen struck again when he first set up a community carpool program for mammals that commuted to other districts, then turned around and effortlessly arranged a series of car-washes benefitting the local community center.

Deciding it was time to up her game, Judy signed up to be a volunteer Burrow Mother with the local Bunny Scout troop and took to the position like a fish to water. Her years of experience wrangling over a hundred younger siblings made handling a dozen energetic little bunnies a breeze. After taking a couple of weeks to get settled in to the role, she strutted up to Wilde and proudly informed him that she was helping to shape the leaders of tomorrow.

She'd expected him to be surprised - maybe even a little worried – but for the life of her, she couldn't understand why he suddenly looked so uncomfortable.

ooooooooooo  
 ** _SEPTEMBER_** _  
_ooooooooooo

Surprised by how much she enjoyed spending time with the little bunnies, Judy decided to take things a step further and put together a plan to start an after-school soccer club for at-risk youth.

In response, Wilde had over-reached by trying to organize a neighborhood-wide end-of-summer dinner at the community centre. It had been a reasonably good idea, but in his rush to get ahead he'd carelessly forgotten to specify that it was supposed to be a _potluck_ dinner.

Standing beside him in the packed gymnasium, she felt as though she ought to be gloating as his plans came unraveled. As much as he annoyed her, though, she couldn't find it in herself to take any pleasure in his failure. Especially when the fox looked so distraught.

"I might have gotten in a little over my head here." He muttered, surveying the crowd of hungry mammals apprehensively. Glancing down at her, he cleared his throat briefly before continuing. "So, Carrots...we've been at this for a couple of months now."

"That we have."

"I think we can agree that there is a measure of selflessness involved here?"

"Of course."

"Well, in the spirit of that selflessness...maybe..." He sighed. "Are you really gonna make me say it?"

"Yup." She grinned. She may not enjoy seeing the fox's plans fail, but she was more than willing to enjoy his now irritated expression.

"For the love of..." He dragged a paw over his face. "Help me? Please?"

"Well, why didn't you say so? I'd be happy to bail you out." Doing a quick mental tally of the mammals in the room, she pulled out her notepad. Writing down a few lines, she thrust the note into the fox's paw. "Grab a couple of larger citizens, head over to the grocery store and pick up these items."

"Uh, sure." He glanced at the list. "Are you sure this is going to be enough?"

Judy grinned confidently. "Trust me, Wilde. I know a thing or two about cooking for a crowd."

ooooooooo  
 ** _OCTOBER_** _  
_ooooooooo

Only two months after Judy began volunteering with the Bunny Scouts, Wilde went and became an assistant Troop Leader for the Junior Rangers. She was certain he hadn't even _wanted_ to do it in the first place, because when he'd stopped by the Community Police office that evening - probably to rub it in her face - he'd looked positively sick with anxiety. Even so, it only took him a few weeks to develop a real rapport with the kids. She would begrudgingly admit that the way their little faces lit up whenever he was around _was_ kind of endearing.

The week before Halloween, she was pleasantly surprised when he invited her to come and speak to his Rangers about safe trick-or-treating. She was even more surprised when he followed her short presentation by reminding the kits that if they're ever in doubt, they should try to find a cop like her.

"Trustworthy, am I? That's so nice of you to say."

"Trustworthy is just another word for predictable, Carrots." He shrugged as the last of the junior rangers left with his parents. "I knew they can count on you to be, well, _you_. A good cop."

"Well, look at you, Mr. Wilde. So responsible."

"Please stop calling me _Mr. Wilde._ " He glowered at her. "Mr. Wilde reminds me of my father. My name is Nick."

"And _my_ name is Judy." She responded. "Not Carrots."

"That's different."

"How, exactly?"

"Carrots is a charming nickname." He replied haughtily. "Besides, don't you like carrots? The vegetable, I mean?"

"Sure, but..."

"I _don't_ like my father."

Judy had no idea how to respond to the idea of not liking one's own father; it seemed so foreign to her. "You don't?"

"No." He held up a paw, forestalling her follow-up question. "I don't like to talk about it either."

"Well, okay then." She nodded. "No problem...Nick."

"Appreciate it. Now get out of here; I'm going home."

"Fair enough. You live in the Meadowlands, right?"

"Used to. Just moved to a new place."

"You did?" She asked, surprised. "Whereabouts?"

"About two-and-a-half blocks from here."

"Really? You moved into a place right here in the neighborhood?"

"That's right, Carrots." He led her out of the meeting hall, locking the door behind them. "And now I'd like to go back there and sleep."

"Okay, I can take a hint." She gave him a sugary-sweet smile as she walked away. "See you later, _neighbor_."

oooooooooo  
 ** _NOVEMBER_** _  
_oooooooooo

When Judy began volunteering with a crisis hotline and a young mother called in, trying to cope with the stress that came with having a child suffering from a terminal illness, it hit her particularly hard.

A few days later, she mentioned it to Nick when he came by the office. To her shock, he responded by bragging about how he'd be at the children's ward that very weekend. Apparently, he'd been going in on Sundays to read stories to sick kids. She'd been furious at him for taking such a terrible thing and making it part of the bet, and told him as much.

"So? What are you going to do about it?" He'd responded with a casual shrug that only stoked her temper. What the fox was doing was wonderful, of course, but she couldn't stand to see him benefit from it.

"I'll tell you what I'll do! I'm going to come with you." She answered, sounding a little more... _smug_...than she'd have preferred. "That way the kids still get their stories, and you don't get any points."

"Suit yourself, Carrots. Remember though, you have to come in _every_ Sunday. Otherwise, I still get the points."

He should have known by then that she wasn't one to back down, so every Sunday from that day forward found the two of them in Zootopia General's Pediatric Wing, reading stories to the sick children. Between the two of them, they could even do all the character voices.

oooooooooo  
 ** _DECEMBER_** _  
_oooooooooo

"The Christmas party went really well. Where did you find that polar bear who played Santa Claws?"

"It's a long story."

Judy shrugged and gestured around the empty roof of the CP office. "I'm not going anywhere."

Nick grumbled for a minute, fidgeting with the plastic champagne flute in his paw. "You remember back in September, when I arranged that free limo service for all the kids going to the school's homecoming dance?"

"Ugh!" Groaning, she let her ears flop back dramatically. "Of _course_ I do! I also remember the pile of thank you cards you brought in to show off afterward."

"Right. Well, I got to it a little late in the game. I'd already made promises, so in order to make it happen I had to go to the only limo service not booked up entirely." He paused, taking a quick sip of champagne. "And that meant I had to have a long overdue conversation with an old business associate."

"I'm guessing that it wasn't a pleasant conversation?"

"Without getting into details, I will admit that groveling was involved."

"I have a tough time picturing that."

"Let's not dwell on it. Anyway, the polar bear – Kevin – is an employee of his."

"Well, the kids loved him."

"Yeah, that was definitely a mark in the 'win' column for me." He remarked with a chuckle. "I gotta say though, I expected more from you over the holidays. Figured you'd have the entire neighborhood wrapped in tinsel and overrun with carolers."

"No. I decided to aim a little higher."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She glanced at her watch. "Wait for it."

"Wait for wh-" Interrupted by an enormous and unexpected burst of sound and light, Nick found himself staring in awe as the sky above them was suddenly filled with dancing lights. "Whoa."

"So? Did I meet expectations?"

"Not bad." He muttered, watching as the fireworks marked the end of another year. Lifting his glass again, he gently tapped it against hers. "Happy New Year, Carrots."

"Happy New Year, Nick."

ooooooooo  
 ** _JANUARY_** _  
_ooooooooo

"You're doing it wrong."

"Go away."

"You have to move the shovel at an angle."

"I grew up on a farm, Nick. I know how to shovel snow."

"Could've fooled me. You know the idea is to move the snow _off_ the sidewalk, right?"

"Maybe you could try helping?"

"I _am_ helping. I'm providing useful advi-AHH!"

"By the way, watch out for that patch of ice."

oooooooooo  
 ** _FEBRUARY_** _  
_oooooooooo

"Happy birthday, Carrots!"

Looking up from her paperwork, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

"Would you believe it was my natural vulpine intuition?"

"I dare you to prove that's a real thing."

"Fine. I borrowed your wallet."

"You did _what?_ "

"Your wallet." He repeated slowly. "I borrowed it."

"Why would you do that?"

"How else was I supposed to find out when your birthday was?" He rolled his eyes. "I brought you some cookies. Do you want them or not?"

Looking down, she expected to see a cheap box of corner store biscuits. To her surprise, the fox held a small re-useable container. "Wait, are those home-made? Did you _make_ cookies for me?"

He scowled, looking away. "If you don't want them, just say so and I'll throw them out."

"No!" She cried, snatching the container from his paws. "Don't you dare throw out my birthday cookies!"

"Well, okay then." He blinked in surprise and gave her a little smile. "Happy birthday, I guess."

"Thank you, Nick."

"Don't mention it." He insisted. "Seriously."

"Huh..." Her smile changed to a wry grin as she leaned back a bit to gaze at him. "Well, would you look at that."

Nick glanced around a little self-consciously. "What?"

"You didn't smirk when you wished me a happy birthday."

"What? Yes I did."

"Nope. You _smiled_."

"I did _not_."

"Did too."

"No!"

"Yup!"

ooooooo  
 ** _MARCH_** _  
_ooooooo

"How can they be so narrow-minded about this?!" Judy cried. "I'm a cop and even _I_ know this isn't right!"

Nick watched impassively as the enraged bunny thundered around the office. Thomas, one of the most promising students in her soccer club, had been arrested in the Rainforest District a few days earlier for possession of a dime bag of nip. The young mammal had been close to dropping out of school when Judy and the school's soccer coach came across him. Since then, he'd not only turned himself around but had actually been offered an athletic scholarship to Zootopia University. His mother had almost hugged Judy to death when they got the news.

Now, the Zootopia School Board's infamous 'Zero Tolerance' policy was sending him on a mandatory two-week suspension, the scholarship was about to be revoked and Judy been on a tear about it for the entire morning.

"He made a mistake, they're going to throw his future away, and there's nothing I can do about it!"

"So, what you're saying." The fox stroked his muzzle thoughtfully. "Is that you're a quitter."

She rounded on him, eyes blazing. " _I beg your pardon?!_ "

"A quitter." He repeated, calmly inspecting one claw. "Someone who talks a big game and bails when things get tough."

" _I am_ _ **NOT**_ _a quitter!_ "

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Don't you get it, you dumb fox?! There's nothing I _can_ do!" She threw her arms up in frustration. "He broke the law! It's stupid and unfair, but he still broke the law!"

"Like I said; you're a qui-"

"Don't you _DARE!_ "

He leaned over until their noses were practically touching, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Then _what_ are you going to _do_?"

"I don't know." She admitted quietly, dropping into a nearby chair. "I want to do something but...I don't know."

Nick chuckled as he took a seat next to her. "Well, I can help you with that part. I know someone we can call."

" _You_ know someone who could help?"

"I know everybody." He assured her, pulling out his phone. "Gimme a second."

He tapped the screen a few times, then held up a paw as he put it to his ear. "Angie? It's Nick Wilde. How's it going?" As he nodded, Judy could just barely hear the voice on the other end. "Oh, I can't complain. As much as I'd love to catch up, though, this isn't exactly a social call. I have a bunny here you really need to talk to."

He held the phone out to Judy, who took it suspiciously. "This is Officer Judy Hopps. May I ask who I'm speaking to?" Her eyes widened when the mammal on the other end introduced themselves. "O-oh. Hello, ma'am. I...er...I have to talk to you about a scholarship student from East Savanna Central. His name is Thomas..."

In the wake of that phone call, Thomas was contacted by the ZU Admissions Office and told that his scholarship had been officially revoked. They were very apologetic and stressed that it although wasn't personal in any way, it was simply unavoidable under the university's regulations and admission standards.

However, just moments later Thomas received a personal call from the Dean of Zootopia University herself - Ms. Angelika Mouskowitz - who proposed an alternative. Since he already had the grades to get in, rather than an athletic scholarship he'd be working for the university services department. When his friends were out partying or enjoying their weekends, he'd either be studying, cutting grass or mopping floors. It wouldn't be glamourous, but Mouskowitz was willing to accept it until he could re-apply for a scholarship.

Besides, it was the least she could do after the positively _glowing_ recommendation she'd received from a pair of very well-regarded mammals in his neighborhood.

ooooo  
 ** _APRIL_** _  
_ooooo

"I don't think you understand. I love little league, Nick. _Love_ it. I've played every spring since I was eight years old. This is a big deal for me"

"So, what? I should just hand the reins over to you because you want it more?"

"Yes? Please?"

"How about this, Carrots. I'll be Coach, and you'll be assistant coach."

"First off, why did you capitalize coach and not assistant coach?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I could hear it in your voice, Nick."

"No, you couldn't."

"Second, if we do that it won't count for any points."

"You could always quit."

"Not on your life, buster. But _I'll_ be the coach and _you'll_ be the assistant coach."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Why not? I was MVP for the Bunnyburrow Bombers six years running."

"Yeah, but you were playing exclusively with rabbits _._ "

"Not _exclusively._ "

"Uh-huh. Carrots, these kids need to be taught how to catch by someone who _can't_ jump fifteen feet in the air."

"Fine. We'll just do a coin toss before each game. Winner gets to be coach that day."

"Seems fair. One question, though."

"Yeah?"

"Which one of us gets to toss the coin?"

ooooo  
 ** _MAY_** _  
_ooooo

"But boys are _gross!_ "

"Sometimes, but we're going to be having so much fun that you'll barely even notice." Playfully ruffling the fur between the little bunny's ears, Judy gave her a little nudge toward the waiting train.

In previous years, Bunny Scout Troop 73 had earned their Campcraft badges on an overnight trip to Outback Island. Judy, on the other hand, had gone camping with her family countless times and was no stranger to sleeping beneath the stars.

Determined to see her scouts enjoy the same experience, all she had to do was call up her dad and casually mention that she knew a dozen little bunnies who didn't know how to start a campfire. She'd barely hung up the phone before the troop leaders got a call from the Hopps Family Farm, offering to host the scouts for a weekend camping trip at Cottonwood Lake, just outside Bunnyburrow.

She'd been thrilled at the news, but couldn't quite explain why her immediate response had been to extend the invite to Nick's Junior Ranger Troop.

"All aboard, Carrots! We're burning daylight!" Glancing behind her, Judy couldn't help but smirk at the excited fox waving vigorously from the train window.

The kids practically bounced with excitement for the trip out to Bunnyburrow. The train arrived right on time, and it wasn't until Nick began leading the line of kids across the platform that Judy suddenly realized there was something she'd neglected to do. Whether it had slipped her mind or just hadn't occurred to her in the first place, she'd forgotten to tell her family that there was going to be a fox in their group.

She rushed to where her father was supposed to meet them with one of the Hopps Farm's many yellow buses, and felt a sudden urge to panic when she saw Nick walk right up to her father and hold out his paw. The panic morphed into outright shock just as quickly, though, when Stu unhesitatingly took the fox's paw and gave it a firm shake.

"Pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Nick."

"You too, Stu. How's the planting season going?"

"Oh, not too bad. Lots to do, as always."

"What?" Judy croaked, her face a picture of bewilderment as she looked back and forth between the pair. "How?"

"What's the matter, Jude? Catfish got your tongue?"

"How?!" She repeated, gesturing emphatically at the smirking fox.

"I think your ever-eloquent daughter is asking how it is that we know each other."

"Oh. She didn't know that?"

"I may have neglected to mention it to her." The fox admitted, throwing his pack over one shoulder. "See you on the bus, Carrots."

Hustling everyone aboard, Judy made sure all the kids were in place before heading to the front of the bus, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Nick was out of earshot. "Alright, let's hear it. How do you know Nick?"

He father briefly took his eyes off the road to give her a smile. "Oh, he called the farm a few months back and we got to chatting."

"He just _called_ you."

"Well, technically he called for your mother. Something about cookies, I think. Anyhoo, while Bon was running down to the recipe library, he and I got to talking about the farm. Just as soon as I told him who we were partnered with in Zootopia, he told me I ought to double-check the books. Sure enough, it seems the distributor we were working with in the city was taking us for a ride. Underpaid for everything and made themselves a nice tidy profit at our expense." An uncharacteristic scowl appeared on Stu's face. "I tell ya, you think you know a bunny..."

"Bunny?" Judy blurted.

"It was your second cousin Bernie, if you can believe that! What's it say about the world when you can't even trust family." Stu took a deep breath and turned the bus off the main road toward the Hopps Farm. "Well, after it ended up being a _fox_ that told me I was getting scammed by a _bunny_...let's just say it got me to sit down and think over a few things."

"It did?"

"Oh yeah. Heck, later on I can tell you our latest business venture; we're getting into the pastry business. Now, go sit down, sweetheart. The road gets a little bumpy up ahead."

Shaking her head, Judy made her way to the back and took a seat across the aisle from Nick. "How did you get my parent's phone number?!"

"Oh, that. Yeah, I borrowed your phone."

"You borrowed my...oh, forget it." She sighed. "Thank you for helping my family."

"No problem, Carrots. Least I could do."

Despite his enthusiasm, she'd naturally expected Nick to become an utterly helpless city-mammal once they were out in nature. That was why she couldn't disguise her amazement when he easily guided his rangers through setting up their camp and lit the campfire with ease, all while casually pointing out the different bushes and trees in the area.

"Seems like you know your stuff, Slick." She commented as he was helping the youngest junior ranger re-tie their boots. "When did you find time to memorize the entire Junior Ranger guidebook?"

"When I was eight." The fox responded absently, fiddling with the laces.

"What?"

"Huh?" Looking up at her, she could have sworn he suddenly looked a little apprehensive. "Uh...never mind."

Curious, she was about to press for more details when she noticed one of the kids getting precariously close to the campfire with a can of butane. She sprinted to save the little one from themselves, and Nick's odd comment left her mind.

The rest of the trip was a breeze, the kids had a great time, and before they knew it they were boarding the train back to the city.

"Thanks again, dad. The kids had a great weekend."

"Oh, no thanks needed, honey. How could I refuse those little rascals?"

"Well, thanks all the same. And I'm glad you were okay with...y'know...everyone who came out." She glanced briefly to where Nick was helping the little scouts load their bags onto the train.

Following the direction of her gaze, her father shrugged. "I still might've been a little uneasy if all he'd done was tip us off to that scam. But you go on and on about Nick practically every time you call home, sweetie, and any friend of yours is a friend of ours."

ooooo  
 ** _JUNE_** _  
_ooooo

Swaggering into the CP office, Nick breezed right past the counter to place a small paper cup of tea on Judy's desk.

"Your usual, Carrots. Mint with a splash of honey."

"Thanks, Nick." She responded distractedly, her attention mainly focused on her computer.

"So, guess what? _I'm_ getting an award."

"Really? For what?" She asked, taking her eyes off the screen long enough to give him a skeptical look. "Biggest ego in Zootopia?"

"For civic pride, thank you very much."

"Wait, seriously?"

To her dismay, the fox looked a little hurt at her reaction. "Yes, seriously. Why? Do you not think I deserve it?"

"Nonono! That's not what I meant at all! It just surprised me because I just got a letter inviting me to some big award dinner."

Nick blinked in surprise. "Really?"

She nodded. "It's being put on by the Neighborhood Businessmammal's Association."

"But...but that's who I'm getting an award from. Hang on a sec." He pulled the letter he'd been sent from his pocket, barely noticing Judy retrieve her own from her desk drawer. "Let's see here...pleased to inform...blah blah blah...exceptional mammals...etcetera etcetera...outstanding service to the community...yadda yadda...shining example..."

"Ooh! Here it is!" She interrupted, tapping her letter excitedly with one paw. "We will be hosting a dinner and award ceremony for this year's recipients on the evening of June 30th! Congratulations, Nick!"

"Hold on. That's next Friday. Isn't that the last day of..." He trailed off, glancing at the calendar on the wall; the last day of June was circled in bright red marker. "Well, I guess it _is_ an appropriate way to cap it all off."

"Wow. The big day really is just around the corner, isn't it?"

"Yup." He nodded. "You ready to add up all those points?"

"Oh, yeah." She replied, trying to sound enthusiastic. "So ready."

"Yeah." He echoed.

The rest of the day – and much of the week that followed, honestly – felt strangely stifled. As the end of the month got closer, they both seemed to be simultaneously looking forward to and dreading its arrival. When the dinner finally arrived, however, they were both determined to keep that dread from spoiling the evening.

"Well, don't you look dapper." Judy hummed, admiring the fox in his well-tailored suit.

"Why, thank you." He did a little spin on one heel, then paused to take in the sight of Judy's evening gown. "You're looking surprisingly good yourself, Carrots."

"Gee, thanks." She rolled her eyes - albeit with a small smile.

"I'm serious. I half expected you to show up in uniform."

"Hey, you know perfectly well that I own other clothes and...oh, shoot!"

"Jeez. I was just kidding."

"No, I just realized I forgot to pick up my spare uniform from the dry cleaners. I needed that for tomorrow."

"Don't sweat it. You can just pick it up on your way in." He shrugged. The corner of his mouth ticked upward in a faint smile. "Or you could just go to work in your carrot-themed jammies."

"Wait, how did you know I ha-" She paused. "You didn't know about my pajamas. You guessed and I just confirmed it, didn't I?"

"Face it, Carrots. You're as predictable as the tide."

She waved him toward the ballroom. "Go find our table, Smarty-Fox. I need to go visit the little bunny's room."

"Yes, ma'am."

Watching him swagger off toward the brightly-decorated tables, Judy pulled out her phone and opened the voice recorder. "Reminder: Pick up uniform from the drycleaner before work and find some way to get back at Nick...for..."

Her voice trailed off as her sharp ears picked up a pair of hushed voices coming from inside the coat check. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she quietly moved closer to try and make out what they were saying.

"You got it?" The first voice asked excitedly.

"Oh yeah." The other replied, sounding equally enthusiastic. "It was easy. No one gave it so much as a second glance."

"Good. I've been looking forward to seeing this all week. How'd you set it up?"

Peeking around the corner to get a look at the two mammals, it took Judy a second to place the middle-aged boar as the owner of a local barbershop. The other mammal, an unusually skinny capybara, she immediately recognized as the high school's track & field coach. She watched as the boar held up a small gold statue, turning it over to reveal a false bottom in the base.

"I rigged this sucker with a pair of Fox-Away MightyMouse tasers. They're small, but they've still got enough voltage to drop that stupid fox right on his tail. He'll never even see it coming."

"See _what_ coming?" Startled, the pair spun round to discover her glaring at them furiously.

"O-Officer Hopps." The capybara stammered. "W-what a pleasure it is to see you. You l-look lovely this evening."

Judy didn't bother acknowledging the complement, moving a few steps closer to the nervous pair. "Now, I'm _certain_ I didn't just hear you two discussing pre-meditated assault."

"N-no! Of course not!" The large rodent shook his head vehemently.

"We would never." The pig agreed, sweat glistening on his brow.

"Uh-huh. Okay, here's what's going to happen." She jabbed a paw toward them, her tone brooking no argument. "You're going to hand me that trophy you're holding, and go grab the regular one from wherever you stashed it. Then you're going to go out on that stage and present Nick Wilde with the award he has so clearly earned. Is that clear?"

They nodded shakily.

"Good." Judy snatched the booby-trapped award from the boar's trotter. "You _will_ shake his paw, you _will_ smile, and then you're going to drive to Precinct One and turn yourselves in."

"W-what?! We can't just-"

"You can, and you will." She interrupted. "Because the alternative is that I arrest you both right now and walk you out of here in pawcuffs. Right through the front door, in full sight of everyone."

The boar seemed to momentarily muster up his courage, standing a little taller. "You...you haven't got any proof that we..."

"I've got a recording of you discussing your little scheme, and I'm holding the key piece of evidence _in my paw_. Anything else you'd like to add?"

The pair glanced at one another, and the boar shook his head helplessly.

"Believe me when I tell you that the _only_ reason you're not in cuffs right now is because that would ruin Nick's evening. He's earned this, and tomorrow we're... Look, I'm giving you two the opportunity to show a little dignity. Do we have a deal?"

"I..." The boar's faint show of bravado vanished, his shoulders sagging. "Yes."

"Good. I'm going to consider this a prank that almost went too far, and that's what my report will say. Along with voluntarily turning yourselves in, it should go a long way toward encouraging the judge to be lenient." With a stern expression that would have made her mother proud, Judy pointed sharply toward the door. "Now get going. You have an award to present."

A few hours later, after the dinner had wrapped up, the pair of them were walking along one of the canals that led back to their neighborhood. Every few moments, Nick would hold up his award and admire it.

"Are you ever going to get tired of staring at that?" Judy quipped.

"No, I don't think I will." He replied happily. "I'm just wondering which museum I should bequeath it to in my will."

"Getting a little ahead of yourself there, aren't you?"

"Never too early to start planning your legacy, Carrots."

"If you say so." As they reached the point where Nick would turn left and Judy would go right, she turned to him and put on a decent impression of a positive smile. "Speaking of planning, what are your plans now that the bet is over? After we figure out who won, I mean."

He peered at her, not responding right away. Frowning, he turned to watch a small canal boat drift by. "I dunno. Hadn't thought about it."

"You haven't? I'd have thought you'd be looking forward to this whole ordeal being over."

"Has it been, though?"

"Has it been what?"

"An ordeal?"

"I..."

"Actually, never mind. I'm going to call it a night."

"Oh, alright. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?"

"Yeah. Sure."

ooooo  
 ** _JULY_** _  
_ooooo

Glancing at the clock on her desk, Judy felt another pang of worry. It was nearly eleven-thirty, and usually Nick would have visited the office by now. At least to drop off her tea, if not waste an hour of her day with his constant chatter. She was resisting the urge to check her phone for the umpteenth time when she heard the familiar jingle of the bell she'd mounted above the door.

"There you are! I was about to send out a search par-" Turning toward the door, she discovered that it wasn't Nick who'd come in. Leaping up from her desk, she gave her visitor her very sharpest salute. "Chief Bogo, sir!"

The cape buffalo rolled his eyes, waving a hoof at her dismissively. "Put your paw down, Hopps. You look ridiculous."

"Er...yes, sir. Sorry, sir." She gestured emphatically to her empty chair. "Please have a seat!"

He eyed the bunny-sized desk chair for a moment, possibly trying to determine whether the ZPD's smallest officer was making fun of him. "I'll stand, thank you."

"Yes, sir."

Rather than explain the reason for his unexpected appearance, the Chief instead turned to examine the dozens of framed photos on the wall.

He paused to study the one of her and Bunny Scout Troop 73 on their camping trip last May, standing next to Nick and his Junior Rangers.

Next was a picture she'd taken of Nick during one of their Sundays at the hospital. He was sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by dozens of awe-struck kids. He even had one perched on each shoulder and another three had decided to skip the story to take a nap on his tail.

Just below that was a shot of Judy dressed as an elf, standing next to an enormous polar bear in a Santa Claws costume. The bear was gently holding a small chipmunk in one paw, listening patiently as the tiny mammal listed the toys he wanted for Christmas.

"It seems you've made quite a name for yourself, Hopps. Neighborhood outreach, after-school programs, charity work. The Community Policing program hasn't been this successful since its inception." He actually let out a faint chuckle. "Did you know that your fundraising drive managed to bring in more money for the ZPD Family Support Fund than the entirety of Precinct Seven?"

"I...er...no, sir."

He laughed again, a little louder this time. "You're a terrible liar, Hopps."

"Was there something I could help you with, sir?"

"Yes, actually." Taking a knee, the buffalo regarded her seriously. "This isn't an easy thing for me to say, but I've come to admit that I was wrong, Hopps. When you arrived in the city, I dismissed you as little more than a publicity stunt for City Hall. But in the last year, you've shown me that your drive to make this city a better place is nothing less than profound.

"Not so long ago, I'd have said that the world was broken and that it needed good cops to keep it from falling apart. Looking at all you've accomplished in this neighborhood, though..." He shook his head, marveling at the collection of photos, cards, and thank-you letters. "If the ZPD had more officers like you, Hopps, I believe we really could do anything."

Try as she might, she couldn't keep her eyes from welling up at the Chief's praise. "T-thank you, sir."

"Yes, well..." The buffalo coughed awkwardly, glancing away as she took a moment to compose herself. "The other reason I'm here today is because the ZPD is going to be directing more resources toward the Community Policing program, and has recently begun hiring civilian aides for the various offices. I wanted to ask if you knew anything about a mammal who applied for the position at this office less than fifteen minutes after it had been officially posted." He glanced down at a small notebook in his hoof. "A red fox named...let me see here..."

"Nicholas Wilde?" She ventured.

Bogo raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of him, then?"

"Yes, sir." She gestured to the photo. "That's him right there."

"And?"

"Oh." Judy hesitated, searching for the right way to describe the red-furred bane of her existence. "Nick Wilde is...um...he's..."

 _...a dodgy business-mammal._

 _...a smug jerk._

 _...a constant thorn in her side._

"...well, he..."

 _...tells me corny jokes when I'm grumpy._

 _...brings me tea in the morning._

 _...made me cookies on my birthday._

"...er..."

 _...helps me whenever I ask._

 _...never lets me give up._

 _...is the only mammal I see every single day._

"Out with it, Hopps. I don't have all day."

Blinking in amazement, Judy realized there was only one answer that summed up Nicholas Wilde. "He's my best friend, sir."

Clearly, that hadn't been the answer Bogo was expecting. "He is?"

"Yes, sir. We'd be lucky to have him."

"Well, then. That settles it. I'll let you deliver the news." Pausing on his way out, he turned to give her an appreciative nod. "Keep up the excellent work, Officer Hopps."

The door hadn't even closed before she was pulling out her phone. A plan began forming in her mind as she brought up Nick's number, pressed the device to her ear, and waited impatiently for the fox to answer.

" _Hello?_ "

"Hey, Nick."

 _"_ _Hey."_ He responded shortly.

"So, today is one year."

 ** _"_** _Yup."_

"I was just looking at the score cards. Looks like that award put you over the top. Congratulations."

 _"_ _Great. Just mail me a check or something."_

Ignoring the sting his comment carried, Judy forced her voice to stay positive. "You know, I'm pretty sure that a lot of the things you got that award for were kind of a team effort."

 _"_ _Seriously? You're trying to welch on the bet with a technicality?"_ He let out an annoyed snort. " _Y'know what? I don't even care. You can keep your money."_

"No, that's not... I was just thinking that we might need to extend the bet a little. Just to be sure."

A long silence followed, stretching out long enough that she began to worry that he might just hang up on her.

 _"_ _By how much?"_ She was sure that she could hear a hint of curiosity in his tone.

"I was thinking for another few months? Maybe six?" She suggested, waiting nervously as Nick seemed to consider the idea.

 _"_ _I don't think that'll work."_ He finally responded, and Judy felt her heart plummet into her stomach. _"Six months would only take us to New Years. What about next year's Little League season?"_

Ears snapping upright, she carefully allowed herself a glimmer of hope. "What do you mean?"

 _"_ _I just can't leave those kids with you. You'll fill their heads with all that fundamentals nonsense and no one will be there to teach them how to trash-talk or spit properly."_

She let out a short burst of relieved laughter. "Nick, that's disgusting!"

 _"_ _Exactly my point, Carrots. You're a terrible influence. We'd better make it another full year, for their sake."_

Grinning, Judy did her best to put on a serious voice. "How about two years? Call it double or nothing?"

 _"_ _Oh, is that how it is?"_ He laughed. _"Okay, Carrots. You're on."_

"Alright then! You better be ready, though. Last year was just a warm-up!"

 _"_ _Easy there, Carrots. Plenty of time for posturing later."_ He paused. _"Are you busy right now? I feel like letting you buy us some pastries to celebrate our anniversary."_

"I'm at the CP office, which is actually where you should be."

 _"_ _Oh? And why is that?"_

"Because you're late for work, Slick." She couldn't help but laugh as she imagined his surprised expression. "Don't forget my tea."

oooooooooooooooooooo

 **Hey all - I started a new job that's thrown my update schedule entirely out of whack. For the foreseeable future, it's going to shift from 'every Monday' to 'whenever I can manage'.**


	37. Degree

_Nick wasn't remotely surprised that Judy had a BA in Criminal Justice, but she'd been a little nonplussed that he had an MFA in Theatre. "C'mon now, Carrots. Hustling or acting aren't that different. It's all about selling a story."_

ooooo

 _The world may keep changing._ Henri thought, glancing at the small grey rabbit. _But some things will always stay the same._

In his four years as the Maître D' at La Mangeoire, Henri Saunière had seen more than his share of nervous mammals waiting for their date to arrive – and the way she fidgeted and kept glancing up at the entrance told him that she was clearly waiting for someone special. In fact, judging by the way she kept checking her reflection in the nearby mirror, it was most likely the _first_ date as well.

Not wanting her to stand about unnecessarily, the sharply-dressed ibex was just considering asking if she'd prefer to wait at the bar when her eyes lit up and she began to bounce lightly on her toes. Following her line of sight, Henri was surprised to find a _fox_ smiling warmly back at her.

Ah, la amour. It seems that love truly is blind.

ooooo

Despite having spent most of the last two hours getting himself pumped up, Nick still felt his heart climbing into his throat as he approached the restaurant. This was _absurd_. There was no reason for him to be nervous. For gods' sake, they'd been together _all day_ without any problems. So why was it that, in just a couple of hours, he'd gone from cool and collected to downright panicky.

He groaned quietly and wished, not for the first time, that he could be as fearless as his partner. If there was one thing Nick knew without a doubt, it was that Judy Hopps had a spine of solid steel. After all the things they'd seen in their years together, there was simply no way she was feeling as anxious as he was.

Once again commanding himself to calm down, Nick stepped through the restaurant door and immediately noticed the bunny waiting for him. She spotted him as well, and her face lit up with a radiant smile that made Nick wonder if it was possible to experience both complete serenity and outright panic at the same time.

"So...uh...hi." He croaked, resisting the urge to smack his forehead against the wall for sounding so dull-witted.

"Hey." She responded shyly.

"You..." He cleared his throat and prepared for a smooth recovery. "You look really beautiful tonight."

"Oh, thank you. You do, too." Blushing, she gestured at him with one paw. "Er...handsome, I mean."

"Excuse me?" They both turned to find a pretty antelope smiling at them politely. "Your table is ready."

ooooo

Watching the hostess guide the pair to their table, only Henri's stern professionalism kept his laughter at bay. Notwithstanding the awkward conversation, there was no mistaking the warmth and affection in the gaze they'd shared.

Although this was obviously not a fix-up or spur of the moment get-together, that didn't make the pair any less nervous. A first date would always be a first date.

ooooo

Judy was still mentally kicking herself over her 'handsome' remark as the hostess led them to their table. As if Nick needed her to clarify that for him. Of _course_ he looked handsome! Then again, he'd obviously put in the extra effort that evening...maybe he was hoping for a complement? If that was the case, was 'handsome' good enough? Did foxes like to be called handsome? What if...

 _Stop it!_ She commanded herself. _This is NOT high school, and I am NOT some awkward starry-eyed kitten! Now, I'm going to act like a grown doe or so help me..._

"Everything okay, Carrots?"

The note of concern in Nick's voice brought her fierce inner monologue to a grinding halt, and she looked up to find he'd politely pulled her chair out for her. She felt her ears flop backward of their own volition as she searched for an appropriate response. "Of course! W-why do you ask?"

"You were looking a little intense just now. Something on your mind?"

She laughed a little nervously as she sat. "Oh, you know. Just arguing with the voices in my head."

 _The voices in my head?!_ She groaned internally. _What is that supposed to mean?_

To her immense relief, he just chuckled as he moved around to his own seat. "Fair enough, Carrots. Just be sure to warn me if they start winning."

ooooo

 _Oh man, did she ever look pissed._ Nick thought as years of experience helped to maintain his easygoing smile. Settling into his chair, he carefully scrutinized his date for any sign of where he might've screwed up. _I shouldn't have pulled her chair out for her. She probably thinks I'm a total chauvinist now. Though she DID call me handsome just now, which is pretty awesome. Am I overthinking this? I'm probably overthinking this._

"...ly sorry."

Blinking, Nick realized that although he'd been looking right at her, he could not for the life of him recall a single thing Judy had just said. She had apparently been apologizing for something, and there was nothing but sincerity in her eyes. However, the lack of relevant context meant he wasn't quite sure how to respond.

She was looking at him expectantly so, in the absence of a better solution, he decided to just roll the dice. "Sorry? Why?"

She shrugged. "I feel like I should be giving you my full attention rather than getting lost in my own head.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Nick assured her, resisting the urge to laugh at the irony. "I totally understand."

"Thanks." She smiled, a little shyly. "Anyway, how was your..." Trailing off, she began fiddling with the edge of her napkin. "Er...never mind."

"My what?"

"I was just, y'know, going to ask how your day was." Her slightly nervous laughter reappeared. "But I was kinda there the whole time."

"Oh. Right. So you were." Nick coughed faintly and began to fidget with his tie. "So, I...uh...hear they make a pretty great salad here."

"Yeah, I've heard it's really good. I mean, if you enjoy salad. You like salad, right?"

"Sure, I eat salad sometimes." He reminded her.

"I know. I didn't mean..."

"It's okay." He assured her. "I just don't eat salad as much as you."

"Yeah, because you're a predator and I'm..." She trailed off.

"Prey?" He finished, wincing as he said it. "Would you...uh...would you _prefer_ if I got a salad?"

"No, no! You can get whatever you want! I was just saying that we're...um...different. On the inside, right? Not that there's anything...digestively speaking, I mean."

"...what?"

"Oh, sweet cheeses." She dropped her head into her paws with a defeated groan. "I thought awkward first dates were for mammals who _haven't_ known each other for years."

"I know, right?" He agreed, feeling almost as frustrated as she looked. "I feel like I'm sixteen again."

Judy took a deep breath, giving her head a slight shake. "Okay. This is fine. We've spent hundreds of evenings together. This one is just a little more..."

"Life-changing?"

"... _significant._ " She finished.

"Okay, Carrots. You're absolutely right. Except, before I wasn't hoping any of those nights would end with us-" He snapped his mouth shut, ears pinning sharply against his head.

"End with us...?" She repeated, trailing off as her brain quickly filled in the rest of Nick's sentence. Feeling her cheeks and ears begin to burn, she dropped her eyes to the table. "Oh. You're talking about..."

Feeling the conversation start to go off the rails, Nick began to panic. "Not necessarily! I'm not trying to pressure you or anything. I just figured we'd eventually...you know..."

"No! I mean, yes! I mean, not tonight but, y'know, _eventually_."

"Good...er, that's cool, I didn't...oh hell."

ooooo

Watching from near the kitchen, Henri winced at the conversation's sudden downward spiral. Granted, he'd seen worse first dates...but not many. It was obvious that they were letting their nerves do the talking.

As their server approached to take their orders, the ibex turned and strode purposefully into the kitchen, glancing around until he spotted one of his most capable waiters. Despite normally being their most energetic staff member, the young mammal had just completed his shift and looked practically dead on his feet. "Tobias! Toby, may I have a moment?"

Looking up tiredly, the young mammal shuffled over. "Can it wait till tomorrow, Mr. Saunière? I'm beat."

"I understand, Toby, but I would like to ask a favor." When Toby began to protest, Henri added. "You can refuse, naturally. I would not hold it against you."

Certain that his manager wouldn't ask if weren't important, Toby nodded slowly. "What do you need, sir?"

"Thank you, Tobias. Now, there are a pair of mammals in the restaurant..."

ooooo

Absently pushing bits of his shrimp stir-fry around his plate, Nick strained his imagination trying to picture a way this date could be going worse - to his dismay, nothing was coming to mind. He'd been looking forward to this evening for weeks, but now there was a little voice in the back of his mind that had actually begun suggesting that he call the whole thing off.

He was just imagining how in the world he'd go about doing so when another rabbit swaggered by their table, his ears snapping upward the moment he got a good look at Judy. Ignoring Nick entirely, the buck placed an elbow on the table and leaned toward her. "Heya, gorgeous. What's hoppin'?"

"Um...hello."

"Well, you must be the prettiest doe I've ever seen. I could gaze into your lovely amethyst orbs all night."

"My lovely _what?_ "

"Alright, Casanova." Nick jumped in before the buck could really test Judy's patience. "You've had your fun, now get on your way.

"Buzz off, Red. The lady and I are talking."

"I beg your pardon?" Judy snapped.

The buck's smile widened as he ran his eyes over her figure. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I wouldn't make you beg."

"Why you little..." Nick growled, hackles beginning to rise. He was just about to stand when Judy stopped him with a subtle paw gesture.

"So, how about you ditch this loser, then you and I go find someplace quiet and get friendly." The obnoxious rabbit emphasized the suggestion by leaning well into Judy's personal space. "What do you say, hot stuff?"

"What do _I_ say?" Judy smiled sweetly, then grabbed ahold of the buck's collar and yanked him close enough to shout right into his ear. "I say that the only mammal I want to _get friendly_ with is the one sitting across from me!"

"OW! Lemme go! Lemme go!" The buck cried, trying to pull out of her grip. Judy happily obliged him, but waited until he gave a particularly hard tug. Suddenly free, the buck tumbled backwards, quickly leapt to his feet, and high-tailed it away from the smirking pair.

ooooo

"Ow, ow, ow..."

"Tobias! Are you alright?"

"I'll live." The rabbit groaned, rubbing his ear painfully. "Ugh... I feel like such a dirt-bag."

"I apologize for that, but it was for a good cause."

"Maybe, but it's still my ear that's ringing. And not for nothing, you _could_ have warned me that it was _Judy Hopps_ at that table."

"Whom?"

"Seriously?" Toby stared at his boss in disbelief. "Mr. Saunière, you _need_ to get a TV."

"Humor me." Henri responded flatly.

"Judy Hopps, the first-ever rabbit police officer? The one who cracked the savage mammals case a little over four years ago? It was in all the papers."

"Ah." Henri shrugged, waving his paw dismissively. "I was still in Ewerope at that point."

"Well, she's a pretty big deal in the rabbit community." Toby winced. "Seriously, I feel like I should call my mom and apologize for my behavior."

Peering out into the restaurant, Henri was pleased to find the fox and rabbit were laughing happily. As far as could be seen, the earlier awkwardness had been banished entirely. "Au contraire, Tobias. You did a very good thing tonight."

ooooo

"Well, that was effective." Nick chuckled, grinning as the hapless buck scampered away.

Judy gave a casual shrug. "What can I say? Sometimes the best way to be clear is to be _loud_ and clear."

The two of them shared a genuine laugh, and for a brief moment their earlier nervousness vanished. Before long, though, the wet-blanket sense of awkwardness began to descend once more. Determined not to let it smother them again, Nick took a deep breath and reached across the table to take Judy's paw.

Surprised, the bunny let out a faint gasp, then winced in embarrassment. "Sorry."

He smiled with more confidence that he actually felt and gave her paw a light squeeze. "It's just me, Carrots. Nothing to be scared of."

She let out an annoyed sigh. "I _know_ that. It's just that we spend all day together. What are we supposed to talk about?"

"We've never had trouble making conversation before." He reminded her. They were unusually lucky that, unlike many partners, spending at least forty hours a week joined at the hip hadn't affected their ability to think up things to talk about.

"Yeah, but that's _normal_ conversation." She huffed. "And if we just have a normal conversation than what makes this different from every other time we've shared a meal? I wanted, y'know..."

"Date conversation?"

She nodded.

"Okay, then. Let's go with a first date classic." He suggested. "So, Judy, what do you do for a living?"

She blinked in surprise, then a mischievous twinkle appeared in her eyes. "Well Nick, since you ask, I actually have a small stand on 17th & Acorn that sells pawpsicles and bootleg DVDs."

"Interesting." He responded. "Making good money with that?"

"About two hundred bucks a day, Red." She winked. "And yourself?"

"Oh, I juggle geese."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Geese." He repeated. "I juggle them."

"That doesn't seem like it's true." The bunny quipped, taking a sip of her wine.

"Well, it makes the truth sound more believable by comparison; I'm a police officer. It's been my lifelong dream, in fact."

"Is that right?"

"It's true. When I was a kit I was in a play about it."

"Were you now? How'd the audience react to that one?"

"Reviews were mixed." He shrugged offhandedly. "Everyone's a critic."

"Don't I know it." She chuckled.

"So, I have to ask. How _does_ an innocent country bunny like you find herself on a date with a big city fox?"

"Innocent? I'm twenty-nine, Nick." She laughed. "I _have_ dated before."

"What? And here I thought you were practically raised in a convent." Nick teased. "To be honest, I don't think I've ever even seen you look twice at another male."

"To be fair, my first few months in the city were a _little_ crazy. And after Bellwether went to prison, males apparently found me, according to Ben, too intimidating."

"Oh yes." The fox agreed smoothly. "Positively _terrifying_."

"And recently, well..." She trailed off, blushing lightly.

"Recently...?" He prompted, a familiar smirk appearing on his face.

" _Recently..._ I spent the last half-year mustering up the courage to ask one of my co-workers out."

"I see. He must be quite the specimen."

"He's okay." She winked. "But just because I haven't dated anyone _recently_ doesn't mean I'm some innocent little schoolgirl."

"Left a trail of broken hearts back in Bunnyburrow, did you?"

"Hardly. Most of the guys back home weren't interested in moving to the city, and I wasn't interested in staying. Kind of a non-starter, y'know?" She shrugged. "I actually got kinda serious with a buck in college, though."

"Yeah? What happened?"

"He was going to grad school overseas and I had my sights set on the academy. Neither of us were willing to give up our dream, so we broke up."

"Hmm. I'm sensing a pattern here." He peered at her skeptically. "So, hypothetically, if you wanted to get the crème brulee for dessert, I wanted to get the apple pie, and neither one of us were willing to change our mind..."

"Oh, I'd break up with you on the spot." Judy deadpanned. "This bunny doesn't compromise."

"Darn. I really had my heart set on that pie, too." Leaning forward, he winked and gently flicked the tip of his tail against her knee. "But rather than letting baked dessert come between us, how about we just settle the bill and go do something a little less dangerous?"

"Less dangerous? I'm not sure if you noticed, but I'm dating a _fox_." Judy whispered conspiratorially, leaning closer to meet him. "Danger is my middle name."

"I thought it was Lav... _"_ Nick began.

"No, it's _Danger_." She interrupted.

"Right. My mistake."

They stepped out of the restaurant a few minutes later, and the cool breeze made Judy regret not wearing a jacket. Just as the thought was going through her mind, however, she felt the warm weight of Nick's coat settle on her shoulders. Smiling up at him, she grabbed the lapels and pulled the jacket snugly around her. "My, my...such a gentlemammal."

"I have my moments." He smiled, briefly resting his paws on her shoulders. "Wait here and I'll go hail us a cab."

ooooo

Susanne was in the middle of her crossword puzzle, trying to think of a ten-letter word for 'fluent or coherent', when a nearby car horn caught her attention. Looking across the street, the black-furred hare was surprised to see a fox waving his paw at the taxi stand outside La Mangeoire and being pointedly ignored by most of the cab drivers. The only driver that did choose to notice him, however, was alternating between honking his horn and yelling at the smaller mammal to make way for a real customer.

"Asshole..." The Zuber driver muttered, rolling her eyes at the irate mammal. For all the noise cab companies made about groups like Zuber stealing their jobs, the truth was that they were doing it to themselves with morons like this. Glancing down at her phone, Susanne regarded the lack of nearby ride requests as she debated whether or not to pick the fox up herself.

Since she started driving for Zuber, she'd made a point of sticking close to Lion's Gate on Friday and Saturday evenings. Most of the city's high-class restaurants and exclusive clubs were clustered in the Southwest Savanna Central neighborhood. While that _usually_ made for good tips and interesting passengers, it was still a little hit-or-miss. On one paw, she'd once given a ride to a grey wolf and his _much_ younger date, a cheetah who couldn't have been a day over twenty-one. She'd silently wondered what their story was - trophy wife? mistress? – but hadn't asked. Her father had raised her to not judge other mammals. Besides, they were both very polite and friendly, and when she'd dropped them off the wolf had wished her a lovely evening and gave her a hundred-buck tip.

On the other paw, there were passengers like the trio of young elk who spent the entire drive _loudly_ talking about how much money they made working in finance, called her car a middle-class-mobile, tried to light up a nip joint, then paid the fare in loose change and didn't tip anything.

Susanne's mind was made up, though, when the other driver threatened to turn the small predator _and_ his date into matching hood ornaments. The mother of nine could clearly see the vulpine's bristling fur and indignant posture, even from across the street, and decided to step in before either mammal did something stupid. Tossing her crossword book onto the seat beside her, she pulled away from the curb and practically glided through traffic, smoothly coming to stop in front of the fox.

Rolling the window down, she smiled warmly at the surprised mammal. "You called for a Zuber?"

"Um...no?"

"Pretty sure you did." The older hare tipped her long ears toward the rude cabbie and smirked at the mildly confused fox. "Unless you'd rather take a cab."

"You know, now that I think about it, I _did_ request a Zuber." He nodded thoughtfully, turning to his date. "C'mon then Carrots. Our chariot awaits."

Leaning forward to get a better look at the other mammal, Susanne felt her ears briefly snap upward in surprise. She hadn't noticed from across the street, but the date on the fox's arm was actually a _rabbit_. Specifically, a rabbit who was currently giving their friendly neighborhood cab driver the most murderous glare Susanne had ever seen.

 _Well_ , she thought, unsuccessfully trying to hide her amusement as the fox gently guided the riled bunny into the car. _That's a new one._

"So, where we headed to tonight?"

For his part, the fox looked almost surprised at the question. "I'm...actually not sure. I guess I was looking forward to our date so much I forgot to plan most of it."

"Heh...me too." The bunny giggled, a little nervously. "Every time I thought about it, my brain just started playing 'Yay!' on repeat."

"Good lord. Could you two be any sweeter?" Susanna groaned playfully, glancing over her shoulder. "Well, if you're looking for a little adventure, I _could_ offer a suggestion?"

"I'm all ears." Judy answered with a faint smirk.

Rolling her eyes at the old lagomorph joke, Susanne turned her eyes back to the road. "Well, have you two heard of Wild Times?"

ooooo

Nick's eyes, wide in wonder, danced from one sight to another, a joyful grin on his face as he tried to take in every detail at once. "This place is amazing!"

Their Zuber driver had certainly lived up to her word. She'd driven them up to Barrier Bay, near the spot Savanna Central and Sahara Square met, where a brightly lit amusement park sat nestled in the shadow of the climate wall.

"It certainly puts the Carrot Days festival to shame." Judy agreed, more amazed by the fact that her partner – who had claimed more than once to 'know everyone' – had never even heard of this place before.

"You know, I used to dream about opening my own amusement park."

"Really?"

"Yup. I mean, it wasn't that big a thing." He waved a paw dismissively. "Just the kind of innocent stuff kits tend to dream up. But at the time it seemed like the greatest idea any mammal had ever had."

"Sounds about right to me." For some reason, her eyes drifted upward to gaze at Nick's recently shortened left ear. "So, I've been meaning to ask how you've been doing since...y'know."

Glancing away, he cleared his throat softly. "I'm all good, Carrots."

"I'm serious, Nick." She reached out to grasp his paw. "How are you doing?"

"I'm really okay." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "A couple of nightmares, I guess. Nothing I can't handle."

"Nick..."

"C'mon, Carrots. You really want to talk about this? You'll have plenty of opportunities to explore my hidden depths another night." He waggled his eyebrows, drawing a slight giggle from the bunny.

Although Judy seemed a little hesitant, she eventually nodded. "Alright, another time. But we _are_ going to talk about it."

"Sure, no problem." He agreed quickly. "Now, what would you like to d-"

"Ooh! Games!" Judy interrupted, practically dragging the startled fox by the paw into a sea of flashing lights. "C'mon, let's go win something."

ooooo

"I'm telling you, you can forget all about pawpsicles. The real hustling is in Hollywood."

"Uh-huh." Judy responded, closing one eye as she lined up with the skee-ball machine.

"I'm serious, Carrots. The more they charge, the worse the movies get."

"Sure. That doesn't sound crazy _at all._ "

"What about the new Batmammal movies, then? Or that Gunslinger movie that utterly tanked? Or Pacific Ram 2, huh? What about _that_?" Nick ran a paw over his face dramatically. "Can you believe we paid _actual_ money to see that train-wreck?"

"Oh, come on. It wasn't _that_ bad." Judy argued, though not with much conviction.

"Are you kidding? We were watching the same movie, right? It was one Megan Fawkes appearance away from being another Transfurmers movie." Nick shook his head in disbelief as she lined up her shot. "I don't know what I expected, though. Everyone knows that sequels are never as good as the original."

Tossing the ball in a smooth arc, she bounced happily when it landed squarely in the center hole. "Alright. I'll admit it wasn't exactly Oscar-worthy."

"You mean it was a cinematic catastrophe from start to finish."

"That's a bit much, I think."

He hummed noncommittally, reaching down to pick up a skee-ball. "You know, I should've gone into acting instead. I'd have made a fortune."

"Is that right?"

"Why not? When you think about it, hustling or acting aren't that different; it's all about selling a story."

"What?" Judy gasped, looking affronted. "Acting is not the same as conning mammals out of their money!"

"Sure it is. The only difference is mammals _know_ that actors are lying to them."

"It is _not_!"

"Yikes. Careful with that temper, Fluff." He quipped, tossing the skee-ball from paw to paw. "It's all fun and games till you end up pulling a gun on me."

"Too soon, Nick." She muttered, scowling. "Way too soon."

"Oh, I didn't...sorry." The pair stood in awkward silence for a moment. "Look, all I'm saying is that I know a scam when I see one. I _do_ have some experience in separating fools from their money."

"Really? I had no idea." She drawled.

"Did you know theatre popcorn is sold at a thirteen-hundred percent markup?"

"What's your point?"

"So, if one were to sell...oh, I don't know...let's say a fifteen buck Jumbo-Pop at that kind of markup? That'd be...um..." Nick mimed doing the math in his head. "Gosh, that'd be about two-hundred bucks per day. Sound familiar?"

"It's the theatres that set those prices, not the actors." She argued. "Are you going to throw that ball or not?"

"Uh-huh. And just where do you think those thirty-million buck paychecks come from?"

"Acting is a noble profession, Nick. Maybe you could at least _try_ to be a little less jaded?"

Sighing, Nick resumed tossing the skee-ball back and forth. "You're right. I'm sorry I let cynical Nick crash our date."

Her expression softening, she reached up to give him a light tap on the shoulder. "I'll forgive you on one condition."

"Name it."

"Throw the darn ball, Nick."

Glancing down at his paws, he seemed surprised to find that the skee-ball was still there. With a soft, embarrassed laugh, he turned and gently tossed the ball toward one of the hundred-point corner hole. He let out a faint growl when it bounced off the rim and rolled all the way to the bottom, earning him a mere ten points.

"Poor fox." Judy laughed, curling her arm around his waist. Laying her head on his shoulder, she looked up at him with feigned sympathy. "Do you need me to win a prize for you?"

"Actually," He murmured, wrapping his tail around her legs as he gazed down at her. "I think I've got everything I want right here."

"You do?"

"Yup." He paused a few seconds before slowly and deliberately licking his chops.

The sight sent a pleasant, if unexpected, shudder through her. Glancing around quickly, she gave him a vaguely scandalized glare. "Nick!"

"Yes, Carrots?"

"Don't _do_ that!"

"Do what?"

" _That!_ " She repeated, waving vaguely at his muzzle. Leaning forward with a mischievous smile, he nipped gently at her raised paw, drawing a faint gasp from Judy's lips even as she snatched it back again.

" _Nick!_ " She stepped away from him, doing as poor a job of fighting her grin as she was of hiding the scarlet blush in her ears. "So...um...weren't they going to...uh...make a movie about us at one point?"

Chuckling, Nick decided to take the hint. "I think there was something in the works while I was still at the academy, but nobody ever contacted me about buying the rights. Must have gotten stuck in development." He shrugged. "It's just as well, probably. You know some Hollywood yahoo would have messed it up anyway. We'd have been fighting off elephants with our bare paws or some nonsense like that."

"You're probably right. I mean, look at those Jack Savage movies. I'm pretty sure that a ZBI agent can't just take off in an attack helicopter on a whim."

"What if instead of a movie, they made a stage musical about us?" He mused. "I'd pay good money to see the Chief performing some kind of power ballad."

"Gods, can you imagine?" She laughed.

"Oh, easily. I've seen much stranger shows in my day." He shook his head at the memories. "Off-Broadway is a very peculiar place."

Her ears perked up at the mention of the famed theatre district. "Broadway? You've been to Zoo York?"

"Mm-hm. Lived there for about a year, actually."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. It was right after that whole rug...incident...with Mr. Big. It seemed like a good idea for me to get out of town for a little while, and I had some relatives there I could stay with."

"Oh." She gave him a sidelong glance. "So you spent some time on Broadway, did you?"

"Off-Broadway, Carrots." He reminded her. "That's where you find the productions that don't have the massive Broadway budgets. In fact, some of them had practically no budget, so there were plenty of opportunities for stage-hands who were willing to work cheap."

"Wow...you actually worked backstage on Broadway."

" _Off-_ Broadway." He corrected her again.

"Whatever." She laughed, waving a paw at him. "That's still really cool. You know, I actually minored in Performing Arts in college."

"No kidding?"

"Yup. I majored in Criminal Justice, but I've always liked theatre. It made me feel...I dunno...larger than life."

"A completely foreign feeling for you, I'm sure."

"Smarty-fox." She muttered, smiling softly. "It seems silly now, but for a while I actually considered giving up on becoming a police officer to pursue acting."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her between the ears. "You know what, though? That gives me an idea. Come on!"

ooooo

Twenty-five minutes later, Judy found herself following her partner as they crept down a dimly lit hallway. She knew they were somewhere on the Zootopia University campus, but Nick had rushed them here so quickly that she hadn't seen which building he'd led her into.

"Nick...why does it feel suspiciously like we're trespassing?"

"Don't worry, Carrots. This building is open to the public."

"At eleven-thirty at night?" She asked, skeptical.

"Sure, why not?"

"Nick, I d-"

"Ah! Here we go."

The fox pulled her through an unmarked door, and Judy suddenly found herself enveloped in darkness. Reaching out blindly, her ears swung wildly as she tried to get her bearings. "Nick? Nick, I can't see a thing. Where are you?"

"Right here."

The unexpected whisper - mere inches from her ear – just about scared the living daylights out of her. "GAAHHH!"

"Easy, Carrots. Deep breaths."

"I swear, if I could see you right now..."

"Okay, okay." Gently taking her by the shoulders, he guided her forward. Straining her ears, Judy could hear the faint creak of metal and the soft flapping sound of rope lines. A moment later, all of those seemed to vanish when they stepped out into what sounded like a huge, empty cave.

"Where are we?"

"Trust me." He murmured, bringing her to a stop. "Stay right here and don't move. I'll be right back."

Standing completely still in the pitch darkness, Judy reminded herself that she trusted Nick completely. He'd never in a million years put her in harm's way. She could hear him bustling about somewhere to one side of her, and was about to ask what the heck he was doing when she suddenly found herself bathed in light.

Blinking to clear her vision, she was astounded to find herself standing center stage and looking out into the Mammalian Theatre for Performing Arts. As the house lights slowly came up she gazed breathlessly at the beautiful space around her. To either side, the architecture of the walls formed an intricate pattern of columns and scrollwork. A sea of more than three-thousand velvet upholstered seats spread out before her, the main floor raising up to the balcony, on to the beautifully patterned ceiling high above. A dazzling chandelier hung at the center, encircled by a painted fresco of gods and musicians, angels and performers.

"Oh wow..."

"Is it everything you imagined?" Nick asked, sidling up beside her.

"So much more." Judy whispered reverently, gazing with wonder into the massive space, sparing him a brief glance over her shoulder. "Hey Nick? Do you think I could have been an actress?"

"I think you would have been the most breathtaking figure ever to grace the stage." He answered without hesitation. "Broadway wouldn't have deserved you."

"Don't you mean Off-Broadway?"

"Oh, those hacks _definitely_ wouldn't deserve you." He laughed. "Why the sudden curiosity?"

"Just having a bit of a wistful moment." She laughed, waving off his concern. "I would have _loved_ to go to school here and perform on this stage. I couldn't have both dreams, though, so I pick the one closer to my heart."

Smiling warmly at the bunny, Nick pulled her gently against his side. "I'm sorry, Carrots."

"Oh, don't be. It was a passing fancy and it's not as though my family could have afforded it, anyway." She turned to look up at him, laying a paw on his chest. "This is really cool, Nick. Thanks for giving me the chance to experience this."

"Anything for you, Carrots." He answered softly, leaning down slowly, eyes locked with hers.

"Really?" She could feel his breath on her whiskers and her heart started beating faster. "Anything?"

"Absolutely anyt-"

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN HERE?!"

"Oh shit!" Nick yelped, his eyes snapping toward the theatre's main entrance, where a grizzly bear in a very familiar uniform stood. "Not good!"

"ZPD! FREEZE!"

Taking his date by the paw, the pair bolted for the nearest exit. "Time for a dramatic exit, Carrots! Run!"

"FREEZE MEANS _STOP_!" The bear bellowed, charging after them as the pair began running even faster. Both of them worked hard to develop their species' respective speed, however, and to their immense relief they soon heard the bear's steps falling further and further behind them.

ooooo

The small ZPD detachment on the Zootopia University campus may not have been the most sought-after posting in the department, but Staff Sergeant "Papa" Bill Rankin genuinely enjoyed it there - particularly when he had the opportunity to harmlessly put the fear of god into a couple of frisky trespassing students.

Running behind them, he was reminded of how few mammals knew how swiftly a bear could run; it was certainly much faster than they looked. Even at his age, Bill was more than fast enough to catch a fox and rabbit – if he'd wanted to, that is. Bill grinned as he gradually let them open the distance, slowing to a walk after a few minutes and chuckling as the young couple continued on their mad dash to escape.

No matter what anyone said, kids these days were no different that when he was in school. Mixing romance with a little rebellious danger was just the kind of thrill many a young mammal was looking for. After all, his wife still said that his proposal beneath the stars in the university's botanical gardens was the most romantic moment of her life, and that being chased out by one of the groundskeepers – a surprisingly spry old billy goat – had done nothing to spoil it.

He'd raised three cubs of his own, and if they'd taught him anything at all it was that if a young mammal really wanted to do something, they were going to find a way to do it. There was no point in trying to enforce the law on campus with an iron fist; better to maintain a constant presence, make sure that they knew that they could always come to him if they needed help, and only drop the hammer on them when they crossed that fine line between rebellious and dangerous.

Glancing at his watch, Bill was surprised to find it was almost midnight; the perfect time for a brisk foot patrol past the campus frat houses. There was nothing quite as entertaining as watching frightened frat boys desperately trying to hide their beers and nip baggies, as if the bear hadn't smelled both a block away.

As he began walking toward fraternity row, he reflected on the pair he'd just chased from the theatre. He sometimes had a little trouble determining the ages of smaller mammals, but he was sure that they'd been older than the average college student. Now that he really thought about it, they'd actually looked a little familiar...

ooooo

"Okay..." Trying not to pant too loudly, Nick risked a glance around the corner. "Okay...I think we lost him."

"Lucky us." Judy deadpanned, glaring at her partner as she tried to catch her breath. "So earlier, when you said that the building was 'open to the public', what you actually meant was...?"

"Look, we can argue back and forth about who _may or may not_ have illegally trespassed somewhere." His mouth went a little dry at the stormy expression on the bunny's face. " _OR..._ we could just celebrate the fact that it all worked out."

Stepping forward, she jabbed one of her short claws sharply into his chest. "You're lucky I like you, Wilde."

He nodded furiously. "Believe me, I know it."

"Good. Now let's get going before we miss the last train."

Falling quietly into step beside her, Nick only had a few seconds to worry that he might've screwed things up before Judy took hold of his arm and draped it over her shoulders. She snuggled right into his side, so much so that he barely heard her mutter. "Dumb fox."

ooooo

"Hey Nick?" Judy looked up at her date as they casually strolled from the subway station toward Judy's building. "What do you think you would have taken?"

"Taken where?"

"If you'd gone to college, I mean." She clarified. "What do you think you'd have majored in?"

"If?" He smirked down at her. "I _did_ go to college, Carrots."

"You did?"

"Yup."

"Seriously? How has this never come up before?"

Nick shrugged lightly. "I dunno. You never asked?"

"So where did you go?" She laughed. "Lucky Jim's University & Used Car Lot?"

"Same place we just got chased out of, actually. ZU Faculty of Performing Arts." He responded casually. "MFA in Theatre."

Judy halted so abruptly that it took Nick a few steps to realize he'd left her behind.

"Hold on. You have a _master's degree_?"

"I do indeed."

"In Theatre _?_ "

"Yup."

"A master's degree."

"We've established that."

"From Zootopia University?"

"You got it."

"You have a master's degree in theatre."

"Alright, hang on a second." Frowning, he reached out, took hold of her ears, and began to angle them around. "I think your reception is out of whack."

"Cut that out!" She shouted, laughing as she swatted his paws away. "I'm just...surprised."

The pair walked in silence for a few minutes, a pensive look growing on Judy's face.

"Something on your mind, Carrots?"

"No. I mean..." She hesitated, picking at a bit of lint on her skirt. "We've learned so many things about each other tonight."

"And that's...bad?"

"No, of course not. It's great." She assured him. "It's just...we've been friends for so long. How is it that I didn't know you went to Zootopia University? Or that you lived in Zoo York for a year? Or that you wanted to open your own amusement park?"

"I'm a mystery, Carrots. A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a cheap Pawaiian shirt."

"I'm serious, Nick. One of the big reasons I felt ready to go for..." She gestured between then. "...this, was because I thought we really knew each other."

"This from the bunny who was worried that we wouldn't have anything new to talk about."

Rolling her eyes, she gave him an affectionate smack on the arm. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, but where I've lived or where I went to school are just facts, Carrots. They don't define me, just like your minor in college doesn't define you." He reached out and took her paw in his own. "Personally, I hope we never stop learning new things about each other."

"Well, when you put it _that_ way." Sighing contentedly, she put the worries out of her mind and snuggled into Nick's side for the rest of the walk. It took her a second to notice when Nick finally came to a stop, and she looked up to discover they were right outside her building. "Oh...uh...I guess this is me."

"I know that, Carrots."

"Right. Because you already know where I live." She blushed lightly, fidgeting with her keys. "I had a really great time tonight, Nick."

"Me too, Carrots." A slow smile crept over Nick's muzzle as his tail began gently wagging. "So, do you think there's going to be a second date?"

Rolling her eyes, she took a step back and peered at him skeptically. "I dunno...maybe?"

Stepping forward, he closed the space between them a little. "Just maybe?"

"Maybe." She repeated, shrugging one shoulder. "I mean, you might be overqualified with that fancy master's degree of yours."

"Really?" He asked flatly.

"On the other hand," She continued as though he hadn't spoken. "You _are_ pretty cute."

Grinning again, he took another small step forward. "And here I thought 'cute' was on the naughty word list."

"Oh, it is." Leaning in, she gazed up at him through her eyelashes. "But maybe I'm feeling a little naug-"

"HEY BUNNY! SOME OF US HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW! EITHER KISS THE FOX OR SHUT UP!"

They looked up to discover one of Judy's loud-mouth neighbors leaning out a window.

"What the...?" Nick's head cocked to the side in confusion.

Bucky (or maybe Pronk?) flashed him a rude gesture. "DON'T LOOK AT ME, FOX! _I'M_ SURE NOT GONNA KISS YOU!"

"Well, that kinda killed the mood." He remarked, looking back to his date. "I guess I ought to _mmmph_ -"

Whatever Nick been about to say was wiped from his mind as Judy's lips pressed against his own, his brain's natural response being to utterly short circuit. The first part of his mind to reassert itself actually felt a little indignant that she'd interrupted him. The next part immediately started telling the first part that it was crazy. When the third part popped up, it asked the first two if this was _really_ the best time to be arguing about this. Then the entire rest of his mind shouted at all three to _SHUT UP AND PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE JUDY WAS KISSING HIM_!

Nick was no stranger to romance. He'd had his share of relationships over the years. In that moment, though, it was like he'd once again reverted to a nervous teen. For some reason, he couldn't figure out what to do with his paws. He _wanted_ to wrap her up in his arms and hold her close to him forever; he settled for resting them on her waist. His muzzle didn't quite line up with hers, their mouths were different shapes, and the height difference made for a challenge all on its own. On top of _that,_ her nose was twitching like crazy against his own and the feeling of made him feel like he was going to sneeze – he didn't have to be a genius to know that sneezing in the middle of their first kiss was the kind of thing he'd never, ever live down.

It wasn't a perfect and magical moment, he silently admitted.

Actually, it was kinda awkward.

Nick never wanted it to end.

ooooo

"Well?" Bucky prodded his husband, trying to get a look out of their apartment's small window. "Did it work?"

"Shut up." Pronk hissed, peeking over the windowsill at the lip-locked mammals on the sidewalk below. "Of course it worked. Can't you hear the silence for yourself?"

"You shut up." Bucky whispered back harshly. "Everybody knows you can't _hear_ silence."

"Yes, you _can_."

"Whatever. It's still a stupid plan."

" _You're_ stu-!" Pronk's irate response was cut short when Bucky shoved a hoof over his mouth.

" _SHHH!_ "

Glaring at his partner, Pronk reluctantly lowered his voice. "It's _not_ stupid, because it _worked_."

"Yeah. A little _too_ well." Bucky gestured to the window in irritation. "They're still at it."

"What? They are?" A quick glance outside confirmed that the couple below were still locked in their embrace. "Ugh...they seriously need to get a room."

"NO!" This time it was Bucky who suddenly found his mouth held shut. Shaking loose, he spared a moment to scowl at Pronk. "No, they shouldn't. Are you crazy?"

" _You're_ crazy. Why not?"

"Because, dummy, if they get a room it'll be the room _right next to ours_. How much sleep do you think we'll get _then_? Bet you didn't consider _that_."

"Son of a..." Pronk pinched his brow in irritation. "I swear if I didn't love you, I'd really hate you."

"Shut up. You know I love you, too."

"Of _course_ I know that, you idiot."

"Alright." Bucky sighed. "I think I can fix this, but I'm gonna have to get a little weird."

"You're always weird. I say go for it."

Taking a deep breath, Bucky shouldered his way past Pronk and stuck his head out the window. "HEY FOX! BUNNY! IF YOU'RE JUST GONNA GET ALL HOT AND HEAVY, YOU MIGHT AS WELL COME ON UP! THE MORE, THE MERRIER, RIGHT?!"

ooooo

"Oh wow..." Judy muttered, eyes squeezed shut as she stepped away from Nick. "Now that _definitely_ killed the mood."

"No kidding." Nick agreed, glaring hatefully at the shamelessly smirking kudu and loudly adding. "What do you say to a little police brutality, Carrots? I guarantee no jury would convict us."

Shaking her head, she reached up and gently took hold of her partner's muzzle and pulled his gaze back to her. "As tempting as that is, I think maybe we should call it a night."

"Yeah. You want to go see a movie tomorrow?" He paused to consider something. "Though I should mention that if we _do_ go to see a movie tomorrow, it'd be our second date. Because we're _dating_."

"I think I picked up on that." She assured him, laughing at the playfully serious expression on his face. Standing up on her tip-toes, she placed a quick kiss on the side of his muzzle. "Good night, Nick. I'll see you tomorrow."

"G'night, Carrots. Sleep tight."

Once she'd let herself into her building and vanished up the stairs, Nick casually turned on his heel and began making his way down the street. Looking back at how the evening had gone, it had been - in his humble-ish opinion - a damn-near perfect first date.

Admittedly, there _had_ been a few moments where everything had very nearly gone sideways, but somehow fate had smiled on them every time. If it hadn't been for that particularly obnoxious buck, his nerves could very well have gotten the best of him right from the start. Were it not for a well-timed Zuber driver, one or both of them could easily have found themselves in a screaming match with some speciest cabbie. And if they hadn't been able to outrun that officer on the ZU campus, their date could have resulted in them having to explain to the Chief exactly _why_ they had decided to trespass on university property.

 _I guess the universe figured it owed us one._ Nick thought, whistling a happy tune. _I don't think anything could spoil my mood now._

"DAMN IT, FOX! CUT IT OUT WITH THE WHISTLING!"

"I SWEAR TO _GOD_ , ANTLERSON! NO JURY WOULD CONVICT ME!"

ooooo

 **Some of the tropes in this fandom that kinda bug me are the ones surrounding N &J's first date.**

 **(A) It turns into this giant magical fairy-tale experience. Nick is Prince Charming, Judy is brought to tears at least once, and for some reason everyone they know is involved (ie. Manchas does the driving, Fru Fru gets them into a fancy place, etc).**

 **(B) Their mutual lack of dating experience. How Judy was** ** _so_** **driven to be a police officer that she didn't even notice boys existed and how Nick was** ** _so_** **emotionally closed-off before he met her that he couldn't possibly be in a relationship.**

 **(C) They flow effortlessly into dating without any uncertainly. Every first date I've been on has been a little awkward at first – in the case of my wife, I didn't actually realize out first date** ** _was_** **a date, because I am an idiot.**

 **Also, if you think I overdid it with the description of the Performing Arts Center, I invite you to Google "Orpheum Theatre Vancouver".**


	38. Remark

_"You don't need to worry yourself, Wilde." Aster quipped at the glowering fox sitting next to him. "She's really not my type."_

 _Nick's surprise must have shown in his expression, because the tall hare chuckled lightly and continued. "Don't get me wrong - Hopps is as lovely a doe as I've ever seen. I just prefer a lady that isn't as long in the ear and short in the claw, y'know?"_

~o~o~o~

"So..." Scrutinizing the letter in her paw, Judy tried her best to keep her distaste from showing on her face. "I just got an invitation to my ten-year high school reunion."

Her partner glanced up at her. "Back in Bunnyburrow?"

"Yup. Good old Bunnyburrow High."

"Home of the Cottonpuffs?" Nick asked with a slyly amused look. Evidently, he'd decided to take a break from scowling at the pile of unfinished paperwork on his desk.

"The Bombers, actually." Flipping through the attached alumni newsletter, she shook her head in wonder. "Wow. Just...wow. There were nearly a thousand bunnies in my graduating class, and I think I'm the only one who actually left Bunnyburrow."

"That can't be possible." Nick laughed, leaning over to see for himself.

"You're right." Flipping the newsletter around, she pointed to a picture of a dull-looking rabbit in grey coveralls. "Norman Oak left to open a mechanic's shop in Podunk."

"Must've been quite the scandal. I'm surprised he wasn't tarred and feathered on his way out of town." He lowered his voice to whisper conspiratorially. "Be honest; did his family disown him?"

Dropping the newsletter on her desk, she shot him a withering stare. "Rabbits in Bunnyburrow are boring, Nick. Not insane."

"If you say so." Nick shrugged, smiling lightly as he leaned back in his seat. "But either way, it sounds like a first-rate opportunity to rub your success in the face of all who doubted you."

"There were certainly plenty of those." She admitted. "But it's more likely that they'll all want to show me pictures of their kids and make passive-aggressive remarks about how I'm still single. I bet my mom would jump on the bandwagon, too."

"Really? I thought she'd eased up about that."

"She has, mostly. But if she's been hanging around _her_ old high school friends...well, she can get a little baby-crazy. With my luck, she'd spend the whole weekend trying to fix me up with every single buck in town."

"Like, at the same time." Her partner gasped, feigning shock. "I knew bunnies has stamina, but damn."

"Nick!" She threw a pen at her cackling partner, who easily dodged out of the way. "What have I said about the bunny comments?"

"You said I'm allowed six per week, and I'll have you know that was number five." He quipped. "So, are you gonna go?"

"What? No way." Judy scoffed as she crumpled the invitation into a ball and tossed it into the nearest trash bin. "Come on, the exchange names are being announced."

The non-starter of Judy's high school reunion was quickly forgotten as the pair rushed toward the briefing room. Earlier that week, Chief Bogo had informed them that the ZPD was conducting a trial run for a semi-annual officer exchange. If it went well, then two or three times each year Zootopia's ZPD precincts would have the opportunity to temporarily shuffle a few lucky officers around, comparing methods and sharing valuable experience.

Taking their usual seats in the front row, they joined their fellow officers in waiting for the chief. Moments later, to the customary chorus of hoots and grunts, Bogo made his entrance.

"Alright, alright, settle down!" The buffalo shouted, sweeping the room with an irritated scowl. "I'm sure you're all anxious to hear the assignments for the officer exchange, but there are some points I need to cover first."

He pointedly ignored the faint but disappointed groan from his officers.

"First of all, it's been decided that some additional law enforcement agencies will be participating in the trial exchange program, including a couple of Sheriff's offices from the outlying counties." Bogo cut a brief glance at Judy. "Second, due to staffing conflicts and budget restrictions, there are fewer exchange slots than previously anticipated. I'm afraid most of those who signed up to participate are going to be disappointed."

Nick and Judy shared a concerned look.

"Finally, each of the officers coming to Precinct One will be temporarily partnered with one of our regular officers. This means that those of you not patrolling with your usual partners may have a couple days of desk duty to look forward to."

More irritated mutters followed, but nobody was bold enough to comment.

"Now, on to the main event. Wolford, you're being sent to Precinct Five in Northern Tundratown. In return, they will be sending Officer Tatiana Lagounov. I understand Precinct Five has recently enjoyed some record low temperatures; I suggest you dress warmly."

The muttering that had filled the room turned to laughter as Wolford let out a faint whimper.

"Trunkaby. You'll be spending the exchange with one of the new participants, the Tri-Burrow County Sheriff's office. I believe they're based in Bunnyburr..." Bogo was interrupted mid-sentence by a particularly undignified snort. Surprised, he blinked at the slightly trembling bunny sitting in the front row. "Is there a problem, Officer Hopps?"

Pursing her lips, Judy held her breath and shook her head vigorously.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes, sir." She responded, obviously trying to hold back laughter. "I just..."

"You just _what?_ "

"I-I just..." Unable to fight it any longer, the bunny burst out laughing. "I just imagined some poor bunny back home being pulled over by an elephant!"

As she broke down cackling, her partner took over explaining. "There aren't a lot of large mammals out that way, Chief. Trunks here might actually be taller than some of the buildings."

Judy let out another burst of laughter before she got herself back under control. Turning to the elephant seated behind her, she gave him a smile and thumbs-up. "Don't worry. You're going to love it out there."

"I recommend the pie." Nick added with a wink.

"If you're quite finished, Hopps?"

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

"Hmph. In any case, it's a two-hour train ride so you'll be leaving early. The Sheriff's office doesn't have the spare personnel to send anyone here, so for the time being Hopps will still be the only rabbit in uniform. That being said," He looked closely at the list in his hoof. "It seems that in exchange for Officer Delgato, the Regional Highway Patrol will be sending us Officer Edmund Aster...who is, notably, a hare."

Judy's ears perked up, betraying her interest in meeting another officer like herself, even if he _was_ a hare rather than a bunny.

"Higgins. You'll be spending the next two days in Acrewood, and their Sheriff's office will be sending Deputy Daphne Talbot to Precinct One."

Although learning about another law-enforcing member of the _Leporidae_ family had caught Judy's attention, the last announcement _really_ had her buzzing with excitement. Nick wasn't sure how to interpret the conspicuous reaction. Although she managed to stay quiet this time, the bunny still looked ready to break the binky-per-minute world record.

Bogo shuffled the papers for another moment as if to verify he hadn't missed anything and placed his glasses back in his pocket. "That's all."

"Excuse me, Chief?" The buffalo glanced down at the surprised-looking bunny. "That's...all?"

"That's correct, Hopps. If any of you have any complaints, please submit them to me by email so that I may begin ignoring them right away."

Judy's ears fell in disappointment; apparently, she and Nick weren't going anywhere. Nodding quietly, she hopped down from her seat and made her way out of the briefing room, her partner trailing close behind.

"This is discrimination, Carrots. Plain and simple." The fox groused as he followed her back to their desks. "You and I are being discriminated against."

"No we aren't, Nick." The bunny sighed at her partner's attitude. He'd come a long way from the mammal who'd hustled her four years ago, but a lifetime of discrimination was a difficult burden to let go of. There would always be a part of him, however small, that felt like other mammals were trying to knock him down.

As if he were trying to emphasize that very point, Nick sent a suspicious look her way. "Oh yeah? Then how do you explain our blatantly unfair exclusion?"

It was a side of him very few mammals saw, and when he got into one of these moods she tried to avoid fanning the flames. "You heard what the Chief said. There were only a few spots available, so he probably chose to prioritize more senior officers. I mean, the ones who _are_ going have been with the ZPD since before either of us even joined."

"Yeah, well, I still think it's some kind of ongoing punishment for the mannequin incident."

She couldn't help but chuckle at that. "It's been nearly six months, Nick. There's no way the Chief is still holding that against you."

Even as she said it, there was a small part of her that wasn't so sure. It had been an embarrassing moment for the fox, but if they'd been lucky then all it would have meant was a stern talking to followed by a couple weeks of friendly teasing. They _hadn't_ been lucky, though, and some enterprising reporter with a police scanner had overheard their radio chatter.

Naturally the Zootopia Gazette had run the story without bothering to contact the ZPD Public Relations office, and for the next three days their front page seemed dedicated to the symbol of the ZPD being an armed fox running amok. They accused the ZPD of reckless endangerment, painted Nick as a danger to the public, and even went so far as to call Chief Bogo's competence into question.

To say that the buffalo was unhappy with that was a spectacular understatement, especially considering that he'd needed to replace his desk phone eight times that week after each one had been mysteriously reduced to a small pile of broken plastic and cracked circuitry. The same could be said of two desk lamps, three computer monitors and an office door.

Eventually the story died down when the Gazette found something else to be outraged about, but Nick's trouble didn't end there. Although nothing was said outright, Bogo definitely seemed to hold a grudge against the fox; unfortunately, that seemed to extend to Judy as well. Whenever a particularly dreary or unpleasant assignment came up, it always seemed to fall on them. Conversely, whenever there were any call-outs or overtime opportunities, their names always seemed to fall to the bottom of the list.

Their stay in purgatory seemed to last for about six weeks, and after that Judy told herself that it was over and done with. Her partner was not so easily convinced, and when things like this happened he tended to get a little paranoid.

"Hang on a second." She grabbed his sleeve, bringing the fox to a stumbling halt. "Look at me, Nick, and listen to what I'm saying. We are _not_ being secretly punished. There's no rug that's going to be suddenly yanked out from under you. Do you believe me?"

"Yeah." He muttered. "But..."

"But nothing, mister. We may be staying at Precinct One, but that means we get to work with the exchange officers coming _here_. Daphne is an old friend of mine. I think you'll like her."

"If you say so."

"I _do_ say so." She insisted. "In the meantime, here's what's going to happen. We're going to get some ciders, pick up a little take-out, and see what's on Nutflix. Sound good?"

He sighed, trying to keep up his annoyed appearance even as he failed to hide a smile. "Yeah. Sounds great."

~o~o~o~

The following Monday morning found them both standing at the front desk, waiting patiently for their new arrivals. That is to say, Nick was waiting patiently as Judy bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"When do you think Officer Aster is going to get here?" Judy asked for what felt like the fiftieth time.

"When he gets here."

"What do you think he'll be like? Did I tell you he started at the Highway Patrol training center just three weeks after I started at the academy?!"

"I think you mentioned it, Carrots." Nick droned. _About a thousand times._

"I'm just excited! Another bunny cop!"

"Hare." Nick corrected automatically.

"Whatever. Can't wait to meet him."

"Well, it looks like your prayers have finally been answered, Fluff. I think that's him now." She followed her partner's gaze to see a hare entering through the front doors, an impressed look on his face as he took in the size of Precinct One. Watching him took Nick back to his first day as a ZPD officer. Even though he'd been there before, walking into the precinct's atrium with a badge on your chest was a strangely humbling experience

Aster was definitely taller than Judy, almost as tall as Nick himself. His fur was a mottled mix of tan and brown that seemed to blend together with his similarly-colored patroller's uniform. Glancing around, he quickly noticed Judy waving enthusiastically and headed their way at a casual saunter.

"Officer Judy Hopps." She chirped, holding out her paw. "Welcome to Precinct One."

"Eddie Aster." The smiling hare responded, shaking her paw firmly. "Just Aster is fine, though."

"Nick Wilde." He held out his own paw, watching the hare's response carefully. He was pleasantly surprised when Aster took it without a hint of hesitation.

"Nice to meet ya, Wilde." Grinning, he gestured around the lobby. "This is a hell of a place you've got here."

"It's cozy, but we like it." Nick quipped, smiling when the hare let out an amused snort.

"We're really glad to have you here! You're gonna...have...a..."

Nick and Aster glanced at one another as the Judy's voice trailed off, her eyes focused somewhere in the distance. "Did her batteries run out or something?"

"I dunno. Carrots? You okay?" The fox was just reaching out to give her a poke when the bunny exploded back to life.

"Daphne!" Judy shouted, bouncing up and down happily. "Daphne, over here!"

Turning to see where she'd been looking, Nick couldn't miss the huge bear that'd just walked in. The bear's ears perked up at the sound of Judy's call and her eyes searched the room excitedly. Spotting the animated bunny, she broke out in a grin. Nick felt his heart jump into his throat as she broke into a run; even though the logical part of his mind was telling him that he was looking at a fellow police officer, his more deeply-ingrained instincts were finding it difficult to ignore the enormous Kodiak rushing toward them with surprising speed.

"Easy there, Slick." Judy muttered, placing her paw on his back when he took an involuntary step backward. "She's a sweetheart."

"Y-yeah. She looks real harmless, Carrots."

"Practically a b-butterfly." Aster agreed, his ears falling flat against his back.

The bunny didn't have the chance to respond to either comment before she was scooped up by an arm bigger than all three of them combined. "Judy! It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Daphne!" Judy laughed, her arms only managing to make it halfway around her friend's neck. "How was your trip?"

"Ugh! Too early! I had to leave before the sun was even up!"

"What? Don't tell me you've gone soft since the academy?"

The bear rolled her eyes at Judy's teasing. "We can't all have a fusion reactor for a metabolism, Judes. Some of us like to hibernate."

"Hibernation?" Judy hopped down with a laugh. "It's June, Daphne. I'm not buying it."

"Hey, Carrots?" Nick casually pointed to a nearby wall clock. "As fun as all this is, roll call starts in about 30 seconds."

Gasping, Judy wasted no time bustling the other three into the bullpen. Luck was on their side; they found their seats just seconds before Bogo walked in.

"Good morning. As you can all see, we have three exchange officers present who will be working with us over the next two days. I'd ask them to stand and introduce themselves, but I'm not going to. Why is that, Officer Hopps?"

Sighing, Judy's bland tone hinted at the number of time she'd heard the words. "Because you don't care, sir."

"That's correct. On to assignments." He glanced at his signature clipboard, then to the bobcat sitting somewhat rigidly in the front row. "Officer Lagounov, Precinct Five. You're going to be in a cruiser with Officer Fangmeyer today and on walking patrol with Grizzoli tomorrow."

"Understood, sir." Lagounov acknowledged with a sharp nod. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Wonderful." The buffalo muttered. "Deputy Talbot, Acrewood Sheriff's Department. I take it from that display in the lobby, you and Officer Hopps have met before?"

"Yes, sir. Hopps and I were roommates at the academy."

"Splendid. The two of you will be on walking patrol today." He only rolled his eyes a little when both bunny and bear let out little squeaks of happiness. "Finally, we have Officer Aster, Regional Highway Patrol. You're going to be taking a cruiser out with Officer Wilde today. Try not to let his attitude rub off on you."

"Gee thanks, sir." Nick deadpanned.

"Shut it, Wilde." Bogo growled, shooting Nick a glare before continuing. "Tomorrow, you'll be switching. Wilde and Talbot on the road, Hopps and Aster on the streets. If any of you have questions, I will once again remind you that I don't care. Dismissed."

~o~o~o~

As Nick and Aster made their way down Sequoia Avenue in silence, Nick once again reflected on how unsettling he found it to be riding with a long-eared partner who _wasn't_ Judy. They had been driving for nearly three hours and, except for a few halting attempts at small talk, had barely spoken a word to one another.

It was becoming painfully awkward inside the cruiser, and he was thankful that being in the driver's seat gave him an excuse to be looking elsewhere. That said, just to make things even more uncomfortable, every now and then the sun would hit Aster's fur at just the right angle to make it look grey. Nick's brain would tell him it was Judy, he'd do a quick double-take, realize what had happened, and look away in annoyance. He went through the whole cycle eight times before Aster finally took the initiative.

"You have something to say, Wilde?"

"What? No."

"Are you sure?" The hare pressed. "Because you sure haven't said much so far."

"Right. Sorry about that. It's just...uh..."

"Lemme guess." Aster chuckled. "Right time, right place, wrong jackrabbit?"

Nick hesitated, tapping his paws on the steering wheel. "Something like that. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." The hare sighed, waving Nick's apology away. "There are only two _leporidae_ law enforcement officers in the world; what're the odds that the only fox ends up riding with both of them?"

"Better than I'd have thought, apparently." Nick responded, smiling slightly. "Okay. I'll try to liven up a bit."

"I know just the thing to help, too." Leaning forward, Aster pointed out a fast-moving sedan just ahead and two lanes over. "Fifteen over the limit. Looks like someone is in a hurry."

"Nice catch. Let's do it." Nick switched the flashers on as the hare hit the siren. The offending vehicle pulled over without hesitation, and they eased to a stop right behind it. "Okay, Highway Patrol. Care to show me how it's done?"

"You know it." Pausing before he stepped out of the cruiser, Aster turned to Nick with a wry smile. "Hey, I'll bet you a beer that I can say meow to this guy at least ten times."

"Meow?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Aster shrugged. "Why not?"

"Doesn't seem like it'd be too challenging." Nick noted. "Meow, meow, meow, meo-"

"No, not like that. You have to say it without, y'know, saying it outright."

"What?"

"You'll see. Just keep count for me."

Putting on a pair of aviator sunglasses that eerily matched Nick's, he hopped out of their cruiser and made his way toward the driver's door. Shaking his head, Nick followed suit and approached the car on its passenger side.

"License and registration." The hare drawled as he sidled up next to the driver's door. "Hurry up, meow."

The koala behind the wheel looked a little nervous, but a lot of mammals did when dealing with the police. He still handed over the requested items right away. Taking the offered documents, Rabbit took a moment to examine them. "Alright, meow why do you think I pulled you over?"

"Well, I..." The koala peered at Aster quizzically as Nick stifled an amused snort. "I'm sorry, but...did you just say meow?"

"I beg your pardon?" Aster peered at the driver over the rim of his sunglasses.

"Sorry, I thought you said meow just then."

"You thought I said _what_?"

"Uh...meow?"

"Do I look like a cat to you, sir?"

"N-no!"

"Are you telling me that you can't tell the difference between a hare and a _feline_?" Aster's voice began rising comically. "Is that what I'm hearing right meow?!"

"Of course not, Offic...!"

"Meow you listen here! Do you see me chasing little bits of string?! Do I look like I'm gonna lay down in the sun right meow and take a nap?!"

Despite himself, the mammal began to grin at the hare's antics. He didn't even notice Nick behind him, shaking with silent laughter.

"Am I amusing to you, sir?"

"I...I'm sorry, officer. I was just picturing..."

"Picturing _what_?!" The hare yelled, bouncing in place with apparent indignation. "Were you thinking of me jumping around all mimbly-bimbly? _Does my tail look like it's built for twitching, sir_?!"

The koala's eyes widened when a short laugh burst forth from his throat, immediately slapping his paws over his mouth.

Aster yanked his sunglasses off to glare at him. "You stop laughing right meow!"

The amusement vanished from the marsupial's face instantly. "Y-yes, sir."

"Meow I'm gonna be writing you a ticket for that speeding violation."

"But..."

"No buts, meow. It's the law." He tore the ticket off the pad, handing it over along with the license. "Not so funny meow, is it?"

As soon as they were back in the cruiser, Aster turned to smirk at Nick. "So?"

"Okay, I'll admit that was pretty funny."

"Told ya. How did I do?"

"Bad news, buddy. That was only nine."

"What? I definitely said it ten times!"

"Nine." Nick insisted. "Unless you'd like to review the body cam footage?"

"Damn." Aster chuckled, waving a paw in Nick's direction. "I really thought I'd nailed that one."

"Is this what the Highway Patrol does all day?"

"Well...not _all_ day." The hare winked. "What do you think Hopps and Talbot are up to?"

"Knowing Judy, they're probably bounding around being unbearably sunny and optimistic."

~o~o~o~

"Sir, may I please see your identification?"

"I...oh..." The bison stammered, glancing uncomfortably at the stern-faced rabbit standing nearby, who had so far said nothing at all. "Yeah...of course."

Holding out the requested items, he tried not to flinch when the police bear gingerly took them from his paw.

"Thank you, sir."

His nervousness ebbed slightly as he tried to focus on the officer he was actually speaking to, who had so far been nothing but polite and friendly. He told himself that he definitely couldn't hear the bunny's teeth grinding, he tried to focus on the bear's disarming smile.

"So...Marcus. Are you aware that this is city property? You aren't allowed to be inside of the fence."

"Y-yeah, but..." He turned to point in the direction he'd come from, flinching when he once again felt pinned by those flinty purple eyes. "I...er...you see..."

"Are you alright, sir?"

"Sure, I...um. The thing is that I work over on Maple, but I live on Cicada, right? And cutting through here takes, like, twenty minutes off my walk home."

"That may be, Marcus. It doesn't change the fact that you're crossing through a civil power station. It's very dangerous in here, and those warning signs on the fence are there for your protection."

"Right, but I was...I was just..." Glancing back, he found himself desperately trying to rationalize the fear this small grey bunny seemed to instill in him. It made no sense, but her unexpectedly cold glare seem to chill him to his core. "Um..."

"Marcus." The bear interrupted gently. "I'm going to be firm on this one. The last thing anyone would want is for you to get hurt."

 _Except the bunny,_ A tiny voice whispered in the back of his mind. _That's exactly what the bunny wants._

"Now I hope this citation will be a lesson to you." His attention snapped back to the much larger officer; her motherly tone made him feel like a youngster who'd been caught sneaking cookies. "I know you want to get home quickly, but it's much better for you to get there safely, right?"

"Y-yeah. Of course."

"Right." She agreed, tucking her ticket book away. "We don't want to hear you've been back in here."

"Ever." The devil rabbit added, and Marcus let out a startled squeak.

"You know your way home from here?" The bear asked, and Marcus nodded his head furiously. "Okay then. Have a nice day, sir."

"Have a nice day." The rabbit echoed, smiling slightly as she added. "Marcus."

Marcus didn't need to be told twice. Sprinting away, it was only a few seconds before he'd vanished around the corner.

"That was awesome, Judy!" Daphne gasped. "For once, I wasn't the scariest-looking one there. Where'd you learn that?"

"Private tutoring." She laughed. "I'm not the most intimidating officer on the force, so a few years ago I asked Chief Bogo if he could offer me some advice on having more, y'know, presence."

"Bogo? As in, the cape buffalo almost as big as I am?"

"That's him. At best, I thought he might give me a few pointers. Instead, he put Nick on desk duty for the week and rode with me in his place."

"You spent a week patrolling with Zootopia's Chief of Police?!" Daphne shook her head. "Nope, I'm calling you out on that one. No way did that actually happen."

"Cross my heart, Daphne. And I don't think I've seen him happier, before or since. I bet a part of him really needed to get out from behind that desk. Once I got over my nerves I learned so much! I actually saw him stare down a drunken bull elephant!"

"Impressive." She nodded.

"It really was. He also gave me some tips on how to create a larger presence, and how to make yourself seem like what he called 'an immovable object'. I didn't think it'd work for me, but the results speak for themselves."

"Darn right, they do. And they say you're one badass little bunny."

"Don't you forget it."

~o~o~o~

Strolling out of the briefing room on the second day of the exchange, the four of them paused in Precinct One's massive lobby.

"I guess we're paired up today, aren't we?" Aster noted, tipping his Snarlbucks cup toward Judy.

"Yup. We'll see how those highway skills of yours do at walking speed."

The hare shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut dramatically. "Ugh! The sacrifices I make for law & order."

"Come on, you big baby." Rolling her eyes, Judy grabbed him by the arm and pulled him toward the exit. "You can still make the world a better place on two paws."

"They seem to be getting along already." Daphne commented, smiling down at Nick.

"Hm." He responded neutrally. "C'mon. The motor pool awaits."

~o~o~o~

"Hey, Nick?" Daphne glanced at the fox sitting in the passenger seat. "I just want to apologize again that we couldn't take your usual cruiser."

"I already said it's okay. It's not your fault it was too small for you, and believe it or not I know the feeling. Back when I first met Judy she was driving around in this little three-wheeled meter-maid cart, and I had to ride shotgun the whole way from Savanna Central to the middle of Tundratown." Shaking his head, he paused his story to point out the upcoming traffic circle. "Honestly, I must've whacked my head a dozen times on the way, and the lack of anything resembling doors meant that if I didn't keep my elbows tucked in I was liable to lose 'em. Carrots can get a little aggressive behind the wheel."

"Yikes. That sounds awful."

"Yeah. It was the worst." He agreed, smiling at the memory. Spotting something a moment later, he stood up in his larger-than-normal seat to get a better look. "Uh-oh. Looks like someone has a broken tail light."

"You want to pull someone over for a broken tail light?"

"No, I'd usually just let it slide. However, _that_ light has been broken for quite a while. The driver knows perfectly well that it's broken, too. He's just decided there are better ways to spend his money than fixing it."

"You don't know that."

He gave Daphne the self-satisfied smirk that Judy had mentioned so often. "First, look at how the car is a little dirty, but the dirt inside the tail light housing is worse. He's probably taken it through a carwash once or twice since it broke. Ergo, it's been broken for a while."

"Okay, I'll give you that one."

"Second, he was driving the same speed as everyone else until we got close enough for him to see. He's been doing two under the limit ever since. To me, that says he knows he's done something wrong and he's hoping we either don't notice, or give him a pass."

"Or maybe he doesn't want a speeding ticket."

"All the other cars are passing him, so _consciously_ he'd know it was safe to do the same speed. I bet that slowing down was an unconscious reaction."

"Maybe." Daphne conceded. "I suppose that's possible."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence. Finally, if you look at the slope of his shoulders and the way he holds the wheel, you can tell he doesn't work with his paws. His designer shirt, however, indicates that whatever he _does_ do for a living must pay pretty well. That's how I know that while he has the money to get the light fixed, he chooses to spend it on other things."

Daphne did her best to watch the road and glare at the fox at the same time. "What? There's no way any of that is true."

"Maybe. Or maybe I spotted the brand-new plasma TV in the back seat and had a hunch."

"Okay, now _that_ I believe." Daphne flipped on the cruiser's lights, watching the offending vehicle pull smoothly to the side of the road. "Alright then. You ready to show me how they do it in the ZPD?"

"I've got just the thing, actually. It's this play that Judy came up with. Just head over to the passenger side, don't say anything and follow my lead."

She eyed him dubiously. "If you say so."

Climbing down from his seat, Nick casually strolled up to the driver's window and gave the driver a pleasant smile. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Officer." The driver, a thirty-something tapir, grumbled. Nick stood quietly for nearly a minute before the driver shook his head slightly. "Right, you want my license. Here."

Accepting the card, Nick examined it casually. "Sir, do you know how fast you were going?"

"Fifty-five?"

"Fifty-three, actually."

"Isn't the speed limit fifty-five?"

"Sure is." The fox confirmed.

"What?! Then what the hell did you pull me over for?" He barked in annoyance.

Nick once again responded with silence, looking at the other mammal impassively. Glancing to the side, the tapir discovered that Daphne was standing just as quietly.

"I... oh geez, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." Sighing, he tapped the steering wheel with one paw before adding. "It's been a long week, but that's no reason for me to act like a jerk."

"It happens." Nick smiled lightly, holding out the mammal's license. "Have a nice day, sir."

The tapir's eyes darted back and forth between the fox and the plastic card. "Hold on...you're not giving me a ticket?"

"Did you expect one?"

"I...um...yeah, kinda."

"You weren't speeding." The fox reminded him.

"Yeah, but...I've got that busted tail light." He shrugged, gesturing to the rear of the car.

Nick looked over to Daphne, who pretended to glance behind the vehicle before nodding her confirmation. "So you do."

The tapir gave him a sheepish smile. "You probably hear this a lot, but I've really been meaning to get it fixed. Money has just been a little tight recently."

Nick didn't say anything, glancing briefly at the new TV in the back seat.

"Yeah. That's kind of a weak excuse, isn't it?" He sighed. "Geez, I'm just full of excuses today, aren't I? Honestly, I've just been putting it off."

Nick shrugged at Daphne, who shrugged back in turn.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I've been asking for a ticket." The tapir chuckled ruefully. "It'll teach me not to slack off on my car repairs, right?"

"That's a nice way of looking at it." Nick agreed, making short work of the citation as he scribbled down the tapir's information. Handing the ticket and license back, he gave the driver another polite smile. "Drive safe, now."

"Thanks, officer. Have a good one."

"You too, sir."

Nick calmly watched the mammal drive away as the bear sidled up beside him. "Okay. What just happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"He just _volunteered_ to get a ticket."

The fox smirked. "That he did."

"You just politely manipulated him into _requesting_ a traffic ticket."

"Yup."

"That's...I don't even know _what_ that was."

"Like I said, Carrots came up with it." Nick smiled softly. "She occasionally defies explanation."

Daphne nodded slowly, peering at the fox with a curious expression. "Yeah. That she does."

As if on cue, Nick's phone let out a distinctly cheerful tone. "Would you look at that...her ears must've been burning. Looks like everyone is hitting up O'Hoggin's after work. You in?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

"Alright then. Shall we go find our next contestant?"

"Lead on, Nick. Lead on."

~o~o~o~

When he'd first arrived at Precinct One, it hadn't taken Nick very long to figure out what made O'Hoggin's Bar a favorite hangout for the officers there. It boasted a warm atmosphere, handmade wooden furniture, and a long row of polished brass drink taps at the bar; everything a proper pub needed. The place was busier than usual that evening, he noted. Most of the precinct's officers had come out to help send their guests off in style. That is to say, get them blind drunk and send them home with the mother of all hangovers.

The pair of them had arrived before the bulk of the crowd, and so were lucky enough to have secured their own table. Unfortunately, that meant they couldn't walk away from it for even a moment, and that Daphne had to scare off the occasional mammal looking to make off with the chairs held for Judy and Aster. The bear, who'd been enjoying a local honey ale from a mug nearly as tall as Nick, was just wrapping up a story about an enterprising young pig who thought it'd be easy to steal from the Talbot Honey Farm when his phone chirped happily.

He tried to hide the sense of relief brought on by Judy's text. Except for the invite to O'Hoggin's earlier that morning, Judy hadn't messaged him all day. He'd told himself that there was nothing to worry about, and that she was probably just caught up with showing Aster the sights. He'd also done his best to not dwell on the sour feeling that idea gave him.

He didn't think Daphne had noticed, but he'd been a little preoccupied by the bunny's uncharacteristic silence for most of the day. Judy was the sharing type, and over the years he gotten used to receiving regular messages whenever they were apart. What had started out as annoying had eventually brought on a strange sense of comfort, and whether he was willing to admit it, not hearing from her for most of the day had been a little unnerving.

"Is that Judy? Are she and Aster on their way?"

"Yup. They're just leaving the precinct now. Apparently, they had to arrest a drunken moose for public indecency and the paperwork took longer than they expected."

"Sounds fun." Daphne peered at him for a long moment. "Something on your mind, Nick?"

"Hm? No, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." He insisted.

"Okay." They sat quietly for a moment. "So, how long have you been into Judy?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me."

"You think I'm 'into' Judy?" The fox repeated, giving the bear an amused look. "Are we back in high school now?"

"First of all, you still had baby teeth when I was in high school." Daphne laughed. "Second of all, I've raised three cubs. I know when someone is trying to dodge a question."

"Technically _,_ that was a statement."

"Your deflection kung fu is weak, fox."

"Okay, okay. Maybe I am 'into' her _._ " He admitted, holding a paw up with the tips of his claws held barely apart. "A little."

"By which you mean you regularly think about her jumping your foxy bones."

He glanced away, taking an unnecessarily long moment to sip his drink. "I confess that the idea crossed my mind. Y'know...once or twice."

"Once or twice, eh?" She repeated, her expression dubious.

"Maybe." He coughed. "So, uh, why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"Seriously, is there something I ought to know? Did she say...I mean, do you think she'd be...interested?"

"You tell me."

"Maybe, I think? I'm not sure. We've had kind of a flirty dynamic lately. At least since the...er...mannequin incident."

"Mannequ...Wait, I think she emailed me about that. Was that the thing with the taser?"

"That's the one."

"That was six months ago."

"Five."

"Still, quite a while. Why haven't you just made a move?"

"Because we work together, for a start." He pointed out. "Relationships are tricky enough for mammals who _don't_ see each other all day, every day. If we tried and then broke up, I don't even want to think about how awkward that could be."

Daphne frowned slightly, but nodded in agreement all the same.

"More importantly, we're best friends and..."

"And you don't want to risk losing that special relationship, right?" Daphne finished for him. "You don't think that's a little cliché?"

"No, I _don't_. I've heard plenty of horror stories from people who unsuccessfully tried dating their friends." He sighed. "Yeah, she's smart, funny, caring, nauseatingly upbeat and more than a little beautiful..."

"Which side are you arguing for again?"

"... _but_ , I want to make sure this isn't just a crush. Dating my best friend – who is a _bunny_ , I might add – isn't something I just want to jump into without thinking."

"Fine then _._ " Daphne chuckled. "If you're going to be all mature about it."

"What can I say? I'm flawed that way."

"Well, I just want her to be happy."

"She's happy. I think she's happy." His expression turned anxious. "Is she not happy? Did she tell you she wasn't?"

"Take it easy, Nick. She's happy, trust me. I just wouldn't mind seeing her a little happier." The bear sipped her honey ale casually. "Happier, living in Zootopia, working in law enforcement, and dating her partner. Who is a fox."

"Yeah." Nick agreed. "Wait...what?"

"And wouldn't you know it?" Daphne gestured toward the entrance. "There she is now."

The fox stood on his seat to look, quickly spotting his partner standing next to Officer Aster, and began waving his arms to get her attention. "Carrots, over here!"

Watching the hare and bunny maneuvering their way through the crowd, Nick heard Daphne whisper over his shoulder. "You're already thinking about how to ask her out, aren't you?"

"Yes." He glanced back at her. "Do you get in your cubs' heads like this?"

"Constantly."

"Having you for a mom must be pretty intense sometimes."

"You've got no idea."

"I'm so sorry we're late!" Judy laughed, hopping up to her seat. "It's been absolutely _crazy_ today; one thing after another."

"I was a little freaked out, actually. She had to convince me that it was actually an unusually busy shift." Aster smiled at the bunny sitting next to him. "I'm glad I had Judy out there with me, or I'd have been all kinds of lost."

"Oh, that's not true at all." Judy gave Aster a playful wink. "You did great today, partner."

They both laughed at Judy's joke; only Daphne saw Nick visibly flinch.

~o~o~o~

"Would you look at these prices! Everything in the city is so expensive." Daphne exclaimed as she scanned the menu. "I don't know how you two manage it."

"Being smaller helps." Judy shrugged. "It makes the grocery bills a little easier to deal with, at least."

"Plus, you can save a ton of money by really, really lowering your standards about where you live." Nick added, nodding sagely. "I, for example, spent several years living in a poorly maintained tenement boiler room."

"A boiler room?" Daphne echoed. "Seriously? Like with steam pipes and everything?"

"Yup."

Her jaw fell open at the confirmation, and she turned to stare at Judy accusingly. "And you _let_ him live there?"

Judy didn't even have time to begin her stammering defense before Nick chimed in again. "Actually, at the time Carrots thought I was homeless."

"No, I didn't!" Judy gasped. "I just thought...I mean, I didn't think you didn't _have_ a home."

"Sure, but you thought that 'home' was under a bridge!" He grinned at Daphne's disbelieving stare. "I swear, this was even after she'd seen the address on my tax forms!"

"Oh, har har. So I made _one_ incorrect assumption." Judy grumbled. "How'd you like it if I told them about the first time you visited Bunnyburrow?"

"Go right ahead, Carrots." He responded smugly. "I seem to recall charming the heck out of everyone on that trip. Your mom is _still_ talking about that vegetable medley recipe I told her about. Not a lot of embarrassing material to work with there."

"Really?" Judy idly stirred her carrotini. "Not even the sign?"

Nick's self-assured expression vanished like smoke in the wind. "Who wants to go play darts? Aster?"

"I'm good." The hare smirked.

"Daphne?" He asked plaintively.

"I'd rather hear about the sign."

Nick let his head fall onto the table and let out a soft, pitiful whine.

"So, we have this giant sign just outside Bunnyburrow. If you've ever taken the train through there, you've probably seen it."

"Oh yeah!" Aster laughed. "The one with the spinning numbers, right?"

"That's the one. And the first time I took Nick out to my family's farm, that sign caused him to...how do I put this delicately...freak right the hell out."

"It wasn't just the sign." Nick interrupted. "There were a combination of factors."

Judy ignored her partner's protests. "I'm not exaggerating. He was curled up in the fetal position, right there on the train platform. I'm pretty sure he was crying a little."

"I was _not_ crying!" Nick shouted, standing on his chair and attracting the attention of several nearby tables. Laughing nervously, he continued. "...is what the suspect said to me. Ha ha! Okay everyone, back to your conversations. Nothing to see here."

"You okay?" Aster asked, grinning at the fox's embarrassment.

"Yes." Glowering at the smirking hare, he took his seat again and muttered. "I wasn't crying. Bunnyburrow is just dusty."

"Of course." The hare laughed, turning to look at Judy expectantly. "So, what happened next?"

"Well, after gently coaxing him to a nearby bench, I managed to convince him that the sign was only a joke and that the population of Bunnyburrow didn't actually number in the millions."

"He actually thought it did?" He gasped. "You're kidding!"

"Okay. Whoa. I think I need to provide a little context here." Leaning forward, Nick began counting on his paw. "One, consider that Carrots legitimately has about 300 siblings and that I am an only kit. That's kind of a paradigm shift, all on its own. Two, we were travelling at rush hour and the train platform was literally packed with bunnies. I honestly _could not see the ground_. That's how many bunnies there were."

Looking to Judy for confirmation, Aster and Daphne were both surprised to see the bunny reluctantly nodding her head. "It's true. The station _was_ pretty busy."

"Three!" Nick carried on. "I had barely even stepped off the train when I was literally swarmed by a teeming mass of tiny killer rabbits..."

"My youngest siblings." Judy added.

"...who brought me down and had me helplessly pinned before I even knew what was going on."

"They're very enthusiastic."

"And then, by chance, I spot something nearby through the tangle of tiny fuzzy limbs." Nick's gaze shifted, focusing on an unseen point in the middle distance. "A sign that welcomed me to that fluffy sea of rabbits, with a population ticker beneath that told me one terrible thing. That despite being literally surrounded by _and_ covered in bunnies, there remained _millions more_ left unseen.

"So yes, I was alarmed. And _perhaps_ I overreacted a little as a result." He conceded. "But I stand by my fear of a hypothetical all-consuming horde of killer bunnies, thank you very much."

There was a moment of considering silence between them, then Judy coughed something that sounded suspiciously like 'scaredy-fox' and the three of the broke out laughing at the disgruntled vulpine.

For his part, Nick felt a small and unpleasant sensation begin to form in his belly as he watched Aster laugh at Judy's playful jab. It wasn't the first time he'd found himself feeling that way, and like every other time, it was a little disconcerting. His brief conversation with Daphne on the topic wasn't helping, either.

Before he had the opportunity to dwell on it, Daphne glanced at her watch. "Yikes. I didn't realize how late it was. I'd better get going."

Nick glanced at his phone; it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. "Already?"

"I have to catch the last train back to Acrewood, remember? It was nice to meet you, Nick. You too, Aster." She turned to say goodbye to Judy and laughed when the bunny leapt from her seat, landing on the bear's shoulder.

"You're not getting away without a hug!" Judy insisted, once again unsuccessfully trying to wrap her arms around the bear's neck.

"Okay, okay. How about you see me into a cab?" Turning back to the fox, Daphne rolled her eyes a little. "Bunnies, right?"

"So emotional." He responded, smirking.

"Yup. I'm gonna borrow this one for a minute."

"Don't let her get too attached." Nick warned teasingly. "You let a bunny get too attached and you'll never get rid of her."

"Don't worry." Daphne said over her shoulder. "I'll make sure that yours finds her way home."

As the two of them headed to the door, Aster turned to the fox with a little smile. "So...Hopps really is something special, isn't she?"

Against his will, Nick felt himself frown slightly at the hare's remark.

"You don't need to worry yourself, Wilde." Aster quipped at the glowering fox sitting next to him. "She's really not my type."

Nick's surprise must have shown in his expression, because the tall hare chuckled lightly and continued. "Don't get me wrong - Hopps is as lovely a doe as I've ever seen. I just prefer a lady that isn't as long in the ear and short in the claw, y'know?"

As if to emphasize his statement, the hare turned around in his seat and shamelessly winked at Officer Lagounov, who was sitting a few tables over. Taken off guard, the bobcat stiffened, then smiled slightly and glanced away.

"Well, I'll be damned." Nick muttered as he felt the unpleasant sensation fade away. Leaning a little closer to the hare, he added. "You know she'd eat you alive, right?"

"Here's hoping." Aster grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as Nick let out a snort of laughter. "So, when _did_ you start seeing your partner as more of a honey than a bunny?"

Nick winced slightly at the phrase, much to Aster's amusement. "I'm not...I mean I'm not sure what I'm... She's just...y'know?"

"Surprisingly, I think I get what you're saying." He pointed over Nick's shoulder. "Heads up. Here she comes."

"What did I miss?" Judy asked as she settled back into her seat.

"Nothing." The hare responded casually.

"Except that he was hitting on Lagounov." Nick turned to smirk at the hare. "And unless I'm mistaken, she wasn't entirely opposed to it."

"That too." Aster agreed.

"Oooh. Forbidden love." Judy laughed, not noticing the slight downturn in her partner's expression. "I mean, a ZPD Officer and a Highway Patroller?"

"I know, right? How could I ever show my face in public again?"

"The scandal!" Giggling, Judy risked a brief glance between them. "Ooh...don't look now, but she's totally checking you out."

"Seriously?"

"Mm-hmm." Nodding, she made a shoo-ing gesture with one paw. "What are you waiting for? Go talk to her!"

"Damn right I will." He pulled his mirrored aviators from his pocket and slipped them on. "It's go time."

Judy reached out without a second's hesitation, pulled the sunglasses off his face and dropped them in his half-empty beer glass. "No, _now_ it's go time. You'll thank me later."

"Fair enough." The hare sauntered off, chest puffed out a little and wearing a big smile.

Leaning over to her partner, Judy whispered too quietly for Aster to overhear. "What do you think of his chances?"

"I think that one way or another, he's gonna wake up tomorrow morning with some fresh claw marks." He gave her a sidelong glance. "So...a hare and a bobcat, eh?"

"Yup."

"Kinda unusual."

"Not really." Judy shrugged. "I mean, my sister Agatha is dating a wolverine."

"Seriously? Isn't Agatha the one with the thick glasses? Big-time bookworm?"

"That's her."

"It's always the quiet ones..." Shaking his head, he glanced back to Aster. The hare was grinning nervously as Lagounov ran a single claw through the fur of his neck, a flirtatious little smile gracing her features. "That seems to be going well."

"Nick, don't stare."

"Fine." He grumbled, turning his chair back around. "But if she pounces on him and I miss it..."

"I'll let you know, Slick."

"You better." He warned her playfully. "So, do you think they'll be doing another exchange?"

"No idea. Honestly, even if they do, I'm kinda hoping we get to stay here. I really liked showing Daphne around the city."

"I guess. It was fun playing tour guide, but I still prefer riding with you."

"Don't worry, Nick." She tapped the rim of her glass against his cider bottle. "I don't see that changing anytime soon."

~o~o~o~

"Hey, Carrots. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"Last week, right before the exchange officers left, Daphne and I got to talking." The fox paused, considering his next words carefully. "She put some things in perspective for me, and I wanted to ask if y-"

"Hopps! Wilde! My office! NOW!"

Nick glanced nervously at his partner, his unasked question forgotten by both of them as they rushed toward the Chief's booming voice. Reaching the buffalo's door, Judy cautiously stuck her head in. "Sir?"

"Get in here, both of you. Close the door."

Following a step behind his partner, Nick tried to ignore the ominous feeling that appeared in his stomach when the door clicked shut. He reminded himself, just as Judy often did, there was no sense being paranoid.

"Don't bother sitting down. You won't be here long." The buffalo tapped a pair of folders on his desk. "I've just completed a full review of your performance over the last four years. It must be said that the majority of your work with the ZPD has been outstanding"

"Thank you, Chief!" Judy chirped, bouncing happily on her toes as Nick let himself relax just a little more.

"However, information has recently come to light that causes me to doubt whether the two of you belong on the streets." He openly glared at them from across his desk. "In fact, it has brought me to the conclusion that having either of you in a patrol car is a waste of valuable ZPD resources."

As his partner froze in place and let out a faint choking sound, Nick took a hesitant step forward. "Sir, I'm not sure what you've heard, but..."

"Shut it, Wilde!" The buffalo snapped. "Effective immediately, I'm removing you both from the patrol roster. What's more, if I have anything to say about it neither of you will ever wear those uniforms again."

Nick felt his throat begin to close off in terror. He knew it. He _knew_ it! That stupid buffalo was still exacting his revenge for the damn mannequin incident, and now he'd finally gone in for the kill. This wasn't fair! And where the hell did he get off pulling Judy into this? Nick was just about ready to tear the Chief a new one when his partner's plaintive voice stopped him cold.

"Why, sir?" The bunny cried, looking every bit as heartbroken as she sounded. "I...I just...please...why?!"

"Because your test scores from last month's exam came in." Bogo revealed with the faintest hint of a smile. "And I'm promoting both of you to detective."

After nearly a minute of silent gawking, Nick was the first to find his voice. " _Why did you tell us like that?!"_

"Because your fear amuses me, Wilde." Sliding a pair of folders across the desk, he waved toward the door. "Take these forms to Mammal Resources, and congratulations to you both. Dismissed."

oooooooooooo

 **If you don't get the Super Troopers reference, go watch that movie** ** _immediately._** **If you** ** _did_** **get the reference, go watch Super Troopers anyway. Because it's awesome.**


	39. Schedule

_It only took Clawhauser a few minutes to look up the respective mating seasons for foxes (December to February) and rabbits (February to May), but he still took a small measure of pride in figuring out why Nick and Judy were always so eager to reach the end of their winter shifts._

~o~o~o~

On the bright side, though, Ben had to admit that the realization would make staffing a little easier. Honestly, he was a little embarrassed to have not caught on sooner. Nick might have been the first fox to join the ZPD, but he was still a member of the _Canidae_ family. With the number of wolf officers around, he really should have seen this coming.

At least with Judy, he had an excuse. No scheduler in the history of the Zootopia Police Department had ever had to work around a bunny's peak mating season before, such as it was. Ben thanked his lucky stars that rabbits didn't go through heat cycles; the idea of Judy's seemingly perpetual energy and enthusiasm aimed entirely at a single male was more than a little bit intimidating – though it did sort of explain why, since the beginning of the _Canidae_ mating season, Nick had been getting so many respectful nods from the other canine officers.

Abandoning his musings, Ben settled in for the complex and mind-numbing task of re-arranging the next quarter's schedule block. The finalized schedule was supposed to be posted no later than the 1st, and ZPD procedure officially stated that all officers would be on a regularized shift rotation - six weeks on 1st shift, six weeks on 2nd shift, and six weeks on 3rd shift. Lather, rinse, repeat. But as Ben's grandfather - a former Marine - liked to say; no plan survives contact with the enemy.

To be fair, he'd also said that rubbing garlic oil into your fur made you run faster. He'd always been a little eccentric.

Ten thousand years ago, things were probably a lot simpler. A given mammal would associate almost exclusively with members of their own species. But when you add a little civilization and a dash of evolution into the mix, things got a lot more complicated. That was why - regardless of what official procedure dictated - the ZPD had to take a more practical approach to scheduling. It wasn't just the individuals themselves that needed to be considered, but also their effects on those around them. Sometimes it was anybody's guess about who was going to react to another mammal's pheromones – and whether or not that reaction was going to be positive.

For example, in the late fall Higgins was on permanent night-shift; the hippo wasn't particularly pleased about it, but even he had to admit that it was better than the alternative. Between late October and early December, the last thing anyone wanted was for Higgins and the Chief to end up in the same room. If they did, odds were good that they'd come to blows over some long forgotten territorial instinct; when over four-thousand combined pounds of pissed-off mammal starts wrecking the room, all you can do is get out of the way.

The most frustrating example of schedule balancing, though, was having to account for officers' respective mating seasons – which had grown increasingly challenging with the increasing number of interspecies couples in the city. Setting up the shift schedules during the spring may have been a pain, but the winter months were a headache and a half.

Precinct One's polar bears used to boast about how lucky they were; their April-May mating season didn't overlap with anyone else's. It had left them free from the challenges faced by their fellow officers until, to nearly everyone's horror, it was discovered that their season crossed over with the peak mating season of one other species in the ZPD: rabbits.

That first spring had brought new and unimagined levels of awkwardness to the precinct. Judy would routinely walk into a room just in time to see any number of polar bears awkwardly shuffling out. At one point, Judy had innocently commented that Snarloff looked particularly sharp in his dress blues and the bear had practically fled the bullpen. To make matters worse, because no one had the courage to explain the situation to the poor bewildered rabbit she spent the rest of the week trying to corner the bear, just so she could apologize for whatever she'd done to offend him.

But at the end of the day, clever scheduling or outright avoidance only worked to a point. For many officers, the only solution was to grit their teeth and deal with a little discomfort.

"Case in point." Ben muttered to himself when he spotted Wolford and Fangmeyer walking from the bullpen to the motor pool. To the casual observer, nothing about them seemed out of place. As always, they stayed close to one another, but never _too_ close, and for most of February the air between them was hot enough to roast a marshmallow. He didn't know who the pair thought they were kidding; it was blatantly obvious that they had the hots for each other.

Maybe all they needed was a little push...

Ben gave himself a mental slap, throwing off the temptation to involve himself in other officers' personal affairs. That only led to trouble.

As embarrassed as he was to admit it, there had been a time then he'd use his detailed knowledge to meddle in the romantic lives of his co-workers. He told himself that he was helping them toward happiness, and probably would have kept it up if things hadn't suddenly gone sideways almost seven months ago. He'd messed up, _badly_ , by casually letting it slip that one of Precinct One's detectives had a crush on their partner. That would have been bad enough under normal circumstances, but there was a key detail he'd managed to miss in his excitement; one of the officers was married. Ben had been so caught up in his 'matchmaker' fantasy that he'd barely skimmed the detective's personnel file – not that he should have been looking at it for that purpose anyway.

He would have taken it back if he could, but spreading gossip is like throwing a bucket of water into a river; you can refill the bucket, but you'll never be able to take back the water you threw in. He was helpless to watch as that gossip turned into rumors, and those rumors crept out of Precinct One to the rest of the department. He didn't know all the details, but it hadn't been long before he heard that the married detective and his wife were in couple's counselling. Around the same time both detectives were assigned to new partners, and eventually one of them requested a transfer to a different precinct.

Ben had already been beating himself up about it when he got called in for a mandatory 'chat' with Mammal Resources. He didn't know whether they'd somehow tracked the rumors back to him or if they'd simply guessed. Given his reputation as precinct gossip, neither would have surprised him. He'd been forced to endure a solid hour of grilling, ordered to attend a mandatory workplace sensitivity class, and been put on a three-month probationary period. And that was nothing compared to the much louder, very one-sided conversation he'd had with the Chief.

Once the dust settled, he'd committed himself to a strict 'no meddling' policy. He loved his job, valued every friend he had there, and had been told in no uncertain terms that trying to manipulate their personal lives was a great way to lose both. If he heard the tell-tale sounds of hushed voices telling secrets around the water cooler or in the break room, he'd turn tail and walked away. If he noticed something about someone that seemed to hint at juicy details, he just put it out of his mind. As challenging as it had been, though, his 'no-gossip' diet had done the trick. He'd made it through his probation and hadn't had a problem since.

"Ben! Can I talk to you for a second?"

Shaken from his thoughts, he smiled as Sofia Fangmeyer made her way over to the reception desk. "Sure. What's up?"

"So..." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "We've known each other a while, haven't we?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"And you know that I trust your opinion, right?"

"Sure..." He eyed her suspiciously.

Smiling, she quickly glanced over her shoulder. "I was just wondering whether you think Danny and I would be good together?"

"I...what?"

 _You've got to be kidding me_ , he groaned silently.

"Danny. Wolford?" She clarified, as if he didn't know who she was talking about. "My partner? Do you think he and I would make a good couple?"

Despite himself, Ben felt like a pot that was ready to boil over. "I...uh...I really couldn't say."

"C'mon, Ben." The tiger laughed, rolling her eyes lightly. "You're not gonna get in trouble if I _ask_ for your advice."

"Yeah...right, okay. Well, I think you... I mean, in _my_ opinion..." He huffed, gesturing vaguely in the tiger's direction. "What I want to say is that he..." He pointed a claw at the wolf across the lobby, who peered back quizzically. "...y'know?"

To his surprise, Fangmeyer actually smiled. "You think so?"

He took a deep breath and shrugged helplessly. "I guess?"

"Me and Danny, though?" She glanced over her shoulder, obviously trying to look casual. "I dunno...Are you sure?"

"I..."

"Hey, Benji." Wolford cut in before the cheetah could answer. "I saw you pointing. Was there something you needed?"

"For you and I to go out on a date, apparently." Fangmeyer answered for him. The smaller cat winced, expecting the wolf to react a little more dramatically than his partner had.

To his surprise, Wolford just gave his partner a quick once-over. "No kidding?"

"I..." He hesitated, nodding slowly.

"Why?"

"What do you mean, _why_?!" Fangmeyer laughed, lightly smacking her partner's shoulder. "I'm a real catch, thank you very much!"

"Damn right you are." He winked "I just wanted to hear what _he_ thinks."

"Oh. Sure." The pair turned to face the slightly confused desk sergeant. "So how about it, Ben?"

"I...uh...because of...reasons?" The cheetah ventured helplessly.

"Eh. Good enough for me." Wolford shrugged, turning to his partner. "What do you say? Flip a coin?"

Nodding, the tiger fished about in her pockets for a quarter, flicking it into the air with her thumb. "Call it."

"Tails."

"And...tails it is." She shrugged. "I guess we're dating now."

Nodding, the wolf flashed her a quick thumbs-up. "Cool."

"Anyway, I'm gonna go grab our bean-bag gun from the armory. Meet you back here in a few?"

"See you soon, _sweetie_!" Wolford responded, batting his eyelashes at her comically.

The tiger rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond as she walked away. Chuckling, Wolford turned back to the bewildered cheetah. "So, any plans for this weekend?"

Ben blinked at him owlishly for a second. "Wait...what just happened?!"

Wolford shrugged. "I dunno. The power of love?"

Ben's face must've displayed every bit of the bafflement swirling in his mind, because the wolf only managed to keep hold of his composure for a few seconds before he broke down laughing. Annoyed, he fixed his cackling friend with a glare. "What's so funny?"

"Dude, you've really been on another planet, you know that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you've been trying so hard to avoid gossip that you practically buried your head in the sand." Wolford smirked. "Sofia and I have been together for, like, three months now."

"Three-and-a-half." The tiger added as she approached. "Did he seriously not notice?"

"He did not."

"But you two are always so..." He gestured vaguely at the amused pair. "...rigid."

"Well _yeah_ , man. Gotta keep it professional in uniform, right?"

As the cheetah struggled to catch up with the conversation, Fangmeyer reached out to place a comforting paw on his shoulder. "It's been nearly half a year, Ben. I know you got rattled by what happened, and with good reason, but I think you learned your lesson. Maybe it's time to stop punishing yourself? Y'know...maybe rejoin the world a little?"

Thinking back over the last months, he had to admit he'd been a bit of a social recluse. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Alright. Good talk, then." Wolford grinned, giving Ben an encouraging thumbs-up. "We gotta hit the road, but we'll see you later, okay?"

Nodding, Ben watched the pair walk away thoughtfully. Three-and-a-half months. Had he really been so withdrawn that he'd missed something like that for _three-and-a-half months_? Embarrassed, he silently resolved to start paying more attention to what was going on arou-

"Excuse me?"

"Gah!" Startled, Ben swung around to discover a pretty caracal standing at his desk. She gave him a little wave, and Clawhauser felt his heart skip a beat. He always thought that expression was nonsense, but he'd be damned if his heart didn't _actually_ skip a beat.

"Um...hi."

He blinked at her owlishly for a second before he responded. "Hi."

"Sorry if I startled you." She stepped forward, smiling hesitantly. "I didn't mean to."

"No. I mean, you didn't." Taking a deep breath, his focus briefly jumped to the delicious smell of fresh bread that wafted from the basket hanging on her arm. "How can I help you, Miss...?"

"Rooikat." Grinning, she reached out with her free paw. "Melissa Rooikat. Pleasure to meet you."

~o~o~o~

 **To Be Continued**

~o~o~o~

 ** _A/N:_** _Ugh...I'm really not happy with this chapter. I kinda burnt myself out finishing_ _ **Burrow**_ _, and it didn't help that the last three chapters of_ _ **Forty Glimpses**_ _each clocked in at over 8,000 words. There was no chance I was going to be able to squeeze that many words out of_ _ **Schedule**_ _, but I'm hoping to redeem it by linking it to_ _ **Highlight**_ _._

 _I suppose this is arguably better than a crippling case of writer's block._

 _Even so...ugh._


End file.
